Green Science Fair

You may have noticed that science fair projects are getting greener every year.

“The Delaware Valley Science Fairs is calling upon medical professionals, college professors, scientists, environmentalists and ‘green’ experts to judge projects and select the winners of the 2010 event, which takes place Wednesday, April 7, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center,” Cheryl Squadrito, who is helping to coordinate the event, reports. “Judges will be needed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided during the event, which an ideal opportunity to be a mentor and have a positive impact on students’ lives.”

“Like the Olympics, the stakes are high for students – nearly $1 million in scholarship and prize money will be awarded at the Delaware Valley Science Fairs. Past winning research projects include rocket engineering, green buildings, breast cancer research and seismic faults. There are NO papier mache volcanoes or solar system models among these entries from Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and the state of Delaware.”

“The event features students in grades 6-12 who have researched inquiry-based projects and perfected their presentations to compete on a local level. These bright students will be competing on the regional level with the hopes of making it to the international level in May.”

“Across the board these entries are groundbreaking and as elaborate as any college or professional scientific research, feeding a student’s natural curiosity and paving the way for great scientific careers.”

Wait until you see what happens when they raise they age on science fair competitions. “As most high school and college students are busy tackling tests or taking it easy during spring break, student teams from across the Americas are preparing for the ultimate extracurricular activity—designing, building, and testing a vehicle that travels the farthest distance using the least amount of energy,” Shell Oil reports. “After months of coordinating designs and constructing vehicles, 43 student teams –among 9 high schools and 29 universities—are putting the finishing touches on their vehicles for the 2010 Shell Eco-marathon Americas energy challenge.”

“These leaders of tomorrow, and their fuel-efficient creations, will soon take to the streets of downtown Houston, March 26-28 around Discovery Green Park.  We’ll find out if these students can beat the 2,757.1 miles per gallon (1,172.2 kilometers per liter) achieved in 2009 by Laval University, but more than that, the students will grant us a glimpse into the fuels, technologies and transportation of tomorrow.”

Will the winner also get a government job?

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.