Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair

WDSU FIRST WARNING WEATHER. ALL RIGHT, JIM, THANK YOU. MORE THAN 350 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR SCIENTIFIC SKILLS TO THE TEST TODAY AT TULANE UNIVERSITY. AND TODAY MARKS THE FIRST DAY OF JUDGING FOR THE 70TH ANNUAL GREATER NEW ORLEANS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR. PHOTOJOURNALIST LAMAR EDWARDS SHOWS YOU HOW YOUNG INNOVATORS ARE CELEBRATING SEVEN DECADES OF STEM EXCELLENCE. EVERY YEAR WE HOST THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR. AND WHAT’S EXCITING ABOUT THIS YEAR IS IT IS THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF STEM EXCELLENCE IN OUR CITY. THE REALLY COOL THING IS THEY GET TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH THE JUDGES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN ALMOST $60,000 IN CASH, AWARDS AND PRIZES. A LOT OF THE PROJECTS ARE VERY RELEVANT TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD. I MEAN, THESE KIDS ARE ENGAGED IN WHAT’S HAPPENING AND TO SEE THESE IDEAS FOR THEIR PROJECTS COME FROM WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD. IT’S IT’S INSPIRING. THEY’RE BEING JUDGED ON THEIR CREATIVITY. THEY’RE BEING JUDGED ON METHODOLOGY, ON THEIR PRESENTATION SKILLS. TODAY, IT HAS JUST BEEN SURREAL. LIKE I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO SCIENCE FAIR. I ALWAYS LOVED SCIENCE. I CHOSE A PROJECT BASED OFF A NON-IRRITABLE MUSCLE CONTROL PROSTHETIC HAND. IT’S CHEAP AND EXPENSIVE AND YEAH, THAT’S PRETTY MUCH IT. PERSONALLY, I THINK WHAT IS FABULOUS ABOUT STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THIS ACTIVITY IS IT IS HANDS ON. IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN. IT CONNECTS THEM WITH PROFESSIONALS, THE JUDGES. SO THEY GET A REAL WORLD UNDERSTANDING. AND THEY’RE THERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. AND SO TO ME, THAT’S REALLY AN