Nearly twice as many projects were entered into this year’s Central Alberta Regional Science Fair as in 2010.
The 28th annual event, held over the weekend at Bower Place Shopping Centre, saw 110 students present 70 projects.
“The idea of the science fair is catching on again,” president of the regional science fair Ruth Roedler said of the spike in participation.
The event does far more than just increase children’s scientific curiosity, she said, explaining that the students also hone their research, language, artistic and math skills at the competition.
Roedler was impressed with the number of innovative projects showcased this year, proudly noting that no one entered the common volcano project.
The six students chosen to represent Central Alberta at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Toronto from May 14 to 21 were selected because their projects were just that much more inventive, Roedler said.
Brooklyn McDonald and Claire Bertens, Grade 7 students at Deer Meadow, presented a project that looked at turning farm algae into biodiesel.
Joseph Gelowitz, a Grade 8 home-schooled student, presented a project that further examined Snell’s Law, specifically reflecting refractions of light.
Justin Quinn, a Grade 8 Innisfail Junior Senior High School student, designed a more efficient way to sort bottles and cans for recycling.
Tim Carlielle-Shaw, a Grade 11 Olds High School student, created an electric bicycle that makes travelling through snow easier.
And Collin Fair, a Grade 11 Olds High School student, devised a way to use topographical models on a computer to simulate water flow in case of flooding.
Three of the five schools represented are from the Chinook’s Edge School Division and Roedler credited the division’s teacher in Olds for taking a project-based approach to education.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com