Wisconsin—Papillons, an exploding volcano, a hovercraft, and cakes in varying sizes were among the displays at the 18th annual Wisconsin Conference Science Fair, held Sun., Mar. 6, 2005. Over 114 students converged at Wisconsin Academy (WA) in Columbus, Wis., where projects lined the gym with colorful, eye-catching, and sometimes pungent displays.
Teams of judges from various Wis. communities spent time questioning students and examining their projects to determine which award the students earned. Each student received a ribbon and a $25 certificate for their WA Passbook, a program which consolidates all WA scholarships in one central database.
Six students also received scholarships to Andrews University based on their scientific methods in the Science Fair. Winners of $500 scholarships were Toni Jackson and Allison Hanaway of Green Bay Junior Academy, while Amanda Goss of Otter Creek Christian Academy and Amy Miller of Petersen Adventist Elementary School took home $300 scholarships. Jessica Buchholz, a home-school student, David Danaher of Woodland School, Sara Goss of Otter Creek Christian Academy, and Aphelandra Messer of Woodland School each received $100 scholarships for their projects.
Joshua Burrington, an eighth-grader from Three Angels Christian School in Madison, shared, "I like that they give out scholarships to Andrews at the Science Fair. It’s a cool thing to do for kids."
The day was the culmination of many months of hard work by the students, and provided an opportunity to demonstrate the new knowledge they had gleaned. Melissa Torres, a seventh-grader from Milwaukee Junior Academy noted, "I learned something new in my project—that organic and vegetarian food items are much better for your body. I enjoyed sharing that today."
Students who attended the event appreciated the opportunity to meet kids from other schools. Ken Kirkham, Wisconsin Conference Education superintendent, believes giving students a chance to interact with other kids their age is an integral part of the science fair experience. He shared, "The children from our small schools need to be brought together to see that they are part of something bigger."
Other highlights of the day included an electromagnet contest. Students in grades five through ten built what they hoped would be the strongest magnet. The projects were tested using an electronic device that measured the weight of BBs the electromagnet could hold.
Younger students participated in the fair during the paper airplane contest. They tried to build a paper airplane that would fly far enough and straight enough to land in a nearby plastic pool.
The day concluded with a presentation that kept the audience of about 250 kids and adults on the edge of their seats. Ben Roy, former director of the Science Zone in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a regular contributor on Three Angels Broadcasting Network, astonished the audience by levitating soap bubbles on a cushion of carbon monoxide gas, creating snow using a simple polymer, and launching a rocket made out of a can of Pringles and hydrogen gas.
The excitement in students’ faces as they watched the presentation was one testament to the importance of the fair. Kirkham noted, "It’s a joy to see the students enjoy science and be able to share what they’ve learned. The Science Fair gives us an opportunity to place God in the center of all science."
Laura Larssen, Wisconsin Conference education department correspondent
