Rensselaer Will Host Capital Region Science Fair March 24

The 28^th annual Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair will take place on Saturday, March 24, in the Walker Laboratories and Sage Labs at Rensselaer.

This year, 160 area middle and high school students from the area will participate. The annual event is sponsored by the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair Inc., with help from the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS). This will be the 28^th year the event is hosted at Rensselaer with support from faculty, students, and staff, and the School of Science and Office of Admissions.

Working alone or in teams of up to three individuals, students will showcase their latest research in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The fair has two divisions. The junior division is for students in grades 6-8 and the senior division is for grades 9-12.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to share a student’s passion for the STEM disciplines and to be recognized for their endeavor,” said fair director Joan Wagner. “Students are encouraged to focus on original research by working with mentors and/or teachers from the scientific community at large within the greater Capital Region. Science fairs such as this do a lot to encourage students to pursue STEM careers. Presently, there is still a paucity of American potential high-tech employees. We are in the Information Age and there is a great need for creative, innovative problems-solvers to meet the demands of today’s society.”

Students from the following schools will be participating in the 28^th GCRSEF: Academy of the Holy Names High School, Bethlehem Central, Broadalbin Perth, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Columbia High School, Emma Willard School, Greenwich Central Schools, Monroe Woodbury Central School, Newburgh North Campus, Nyack High School, Niskayuna High School, Roundout Valley High School, Saratoga Springs High School, Shaker High School and Junior High School, Guilderland High School, Van Antwerp Middle School, Germantown Central Schools, Iroquois Middle School, and the Bright Hope Center.

Students will use a storyboard to present their research to judges, who are all scientists and engineers. “In coordinating this event, we’ve found that when students do original research, they better understand the nature of science,” said Wagner.

The program will begin at 9:15 a.m. with opening remarks to be delivered by Joan Wagner in Russell Sage Auditorium, room 3303. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, judges will review the projects. Junior Division projects are in the Sage Labs, while Senior Division projects are in the Walker Labs. The student projects will also be available for public viewing from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Immediately following the keynote address, the awards ceremony will take place at the Darrin Communications Center, Room 308. For more information, visit www.gcrsef.org.