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WINONA LAKE – Jefferson Elementary hosted its first annual STEM Science Fair, bringing together students, families and community partners to showcase dozens of students’ hands-on experiments, engineering design projects and real-world problem solving.
The evening also included a STEM book fair and family activities, according to a news release from Warsaw Community Schools.
Students in kindergarten through sixth grade presented projects that followed the scientific process, asked questions and demonstrated presentation skills as they shared their learning with judges, families and community members.
The Best in Show Award was presented to Kate Rivir for her project, Phones or Thrones, which investigated the amount of bacteria found on cell phones compared to toilet seats. Her project stood out for its strong use of the scientific method, detailed data collection and clear presentation of results, stated the release.
Science fair award winners included grand champion K–2, Sarah Rivir; reserve champion K–2, Hazel Herendeen; champion grades 3–6, Gwen Miller; reserve champion grades 3–6, Hannah Cochran and Quinn Sands; best engineering, Kenli Detlefsen; best scientific process, Elizabeth Faroh; and Judge’s Choice Award, Malachi Shorter.
Jefferson Elementary thanks the community members who volunteered their time to serve as judges, including Mark Sproles and Harry Goodman, from Da-Lite Legrand;, Derek Pike, Jefferson STEM instructional coach; and Scott McClintock, former Jefferson teacher.
Sproles said, “Participating in the Jefferson Elementary School Science Fair as part of our Better Communities initiative was truly inspiring. The students presented their projects with such enthusiasm and creativity, and it was rewarding to see the hard work and thoughtful exploration behind each one. Serving as judges was both an honor and a pleasure, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support and encourage the next generation of innovators.”
Pike said, “I was amazed at the cool science projects that Jefferson students came up with. Each student I spoke with had a strong understanding of the scientific process and explained their findings with confidence.”
