Hundreds of Grade 5-12 students gathered at the Olympic Oval on Saturday for the final day of the Calgary Youth Science Fair, which named 17 finalists, who will compete in the national fair next month.
The fair drew 900 participants, who were evaluated by a team of 500 volunteer judges over the course of two days.
“Some students have worked for months, others have worked for years on their projects,” said Grant Mansiere, director of external relations at the Calgary Youth Science Fair Society. “I know all of them have put in a lot of effort, so I’m happy to see all of them here presenting what they do best.”
But it’s also about the experiences the fair offers to participants, he said.
“This is going to be some of the best days of their lives,” he said. “They’re going to meet the best people, they’re going to make the best connections, and they’re going to pitch and present the best science they have.”
Hundreds of students turned out with their projects for the Calgary Youth Science Fair at the University of Calgary’s Olympic Oval on Saturday.
Mika Wan, 15, is one of the finalists who will be attending the Canada-Wide Science Fair at the end of May in Edmonton.
Wan, a Grade 10 student at Webber Academy, is participating for the second year in a row, and has been a finalist both times.
“I’m just flabbergasted,” she said. “I went in with no expectations … I didn’t want to make myself too stressed or anything like that, but I did try my best.”
For her project, she created a more environmentally friendly alternative to current building insulation materials.
“Basically, I created biomass-derived foams using Aspen and hemp, which are lignocellulose fibers, and then also additives with silane and nanoclay,” she said. “That’s going to be a novel solution to replace current petroleum-based foams that have really large impacts on the environment.”
Gayatri Sakharkar, a Grade 9 student at the STEM Innovation Academy, developed a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastic mulch film used to increase crop yields.
“I was really into microplastics, just because my project last year involved using recycled plastic water bottles,” she said. This year is her fifth time participating in the Calgary fair, and her second time as a finalist.
“I am so excited,” she said. “Last year, the experience was amazing. It was the best week of my life by far.”
Allen Guo-Lu displays a project he developed with teammate Luotong Shi during the Calgary Youth Science Fair at the University of Calgary’s Olympic Oval on Saturday. Their invention is a robotic tail that would help people with Parkinsons stabilize while walking.
Allen Guo-Lu, a Grade 12 student, developed a robotic tail designed to help seniors with balance, along with his partner, Luotong Shi.
Guo-Lu regularly visits seniors’ homes through his work with local non-profit InThinking Youth Club, which became the inspiration for the project. This year was his first time participating in the fair, and said he wasn’t expecting to make it as a finalist.
“For me, it was more like a personal challenge,” he said. “I didn’t have a high expectation. I think that’s part of the fun of it, is to have that curiosity.”
ddekuyper@postmedia.com
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