Surrey and Delta high school students showcase science smarts at KPU

South Fraser Regional Science Fair.
Ministers Peter Fassbender and Stephanie Cadieux, and Patti Leigh, executive director of Science Fair Foundation BC, with the winners of South Fraser Regional Science Fair.
AN impressive showcase of science projects were on display at last week’s South Fraser Regional Science Fair (SFRSF) held at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Surrey campus. In all, 138 students from grades 7-12 participated in the annual science fair.

Minister of Education Peter Fassbender, Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux, proud parents and science enthusiasts viewed the publicly displayed science projects, and attended the awards ceremony Friday evening. Students also toured KPU’s physics and biology labs for hands-on experiments and demonstrations designed to give them a feel for science at the post-secondary level.

Gold, silver, bronze and recognition awards were handed out to junior, intermediate and senior science projects. Eight students will be advancing to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, which will be held May 10-17 in Windsor, Ontario.

“The science fair has greatly contributed to my growing interest in science and I have learned a lot through my project,” says Devika Vishwanath, a grade 10 student from Seaquam Secondary, and one of the winning students going on the all-expenses paid trip to Windsor. “My project this year on free-space laser communication has given me a new field to consider.”

Over 55 expert judges evaluated the inventive projects and determined scores based on scientific thought, original creativity, visual display and oral presentation.

The competition routinely attracts some of the most talented student scientists from across the Surrey and Delta school districts. It encompasses several scientific disciplines, including biotechnology, earth and environmental sciences, engineering and computing sciences, health sciences, life sciences, and physical and mathematical sciences.

“This event is a great showcase of the wealth of scientific talent found in our local community,” says Betty Worobec, dean of KPU’s faculty of science and horticulture. “KPU Surrey was abuzz with scientific energy.”

The SFRSF is jointly sponsored by KPU, SFU, the Surrey and Delta school districts, Advanced Systems Integrators and the Science Fair Foundation of BC. For a complete list of winners, visit: SFRSF.