Every year, the Science National Honor Society (SNHS) puts on a fair, where each student hoping to be inducted into the society presents their project of choice. Each candidate is given the task at the beginning of the school year to write a report and run an experiment responding to a topic and question of their choice. Then, these reports are submitted to a panel of judges and if the reports are passed, students put together a poster and presentation to present at the fair.
One notable difference in this year’s fair compared to previous years was that it was in a presentation style, so students would go up one at a time and give their presentations to the whole audience, rather than everyone walking around. Advisor of SNHS, Spencer Boos, said, “We found in previous years that students would be there for a full hour and only 1-2 people would come check out their boards.” By changing the format, each student is able to show the hard work they put into a larger group of people and everyone is given the same presentation time.
Next year, Boos claims more changes will continue to be made to improve the fair. He said “we are revising how the boards are organized” as well as “incorporat[ing] a poster walk back into it.” Therefore, future fairs will be at least half symposium, and the rest a poster walk/display.
The Science Fair is not an easy task, and the hard work students put in does come with a lot of outcomes., Mr. Boos said, “My big goal is for them to choose a project they are passionate about….and also for them to develop presentation skills.” The Science Fair is an opportunity for students to really pursue their interests, and grow not only research and scientific skills, but also become exceptional presenters. These are life skills that students can carry with them throughout their futures.
Science fair reports are run by judges, and thoroughly examined in order to decide whether each individual is to be accepted into the society or not. This year, Mr. Boos said, “This year we had some science teachers step in:, Mr. Kaley, Ms. Silver, Ms. Kovorotna.” The different judges grade each report, spending careful time and consideration.
This long process involved senior Harper Jordan, the Programming Director/Science Fair Coordinator of SNHS. She said, “Doing a science project helps students understand the results of their experiments and can also help them figure out what branch of science could be interesting to them as a potential career.” This process is very helpful to guide students towards what they are passionate about, and potentially might want to do in their future, something a lot of students struggle with, so this little beacon of light is very helpful.
The fair itself provides guidance to students and they are also supported by their mentors throughout the whole process. Jordan said, “We also hosted office hours where people could come in and ask questions, and we had check-ins at our meetings to make sure people were on track to finish their projects.”
When asked what makes a project exceptional rather than ordinary, Boos said, “For something to be exceptional, they need to be passionate about it.” He was intrigued by the interests of the students, and what makes science fair so fascinating is that each student is invested in their topic, and has a personal interest in what they are learning.
Jordan said, “I hope every student continues to ask questions about the world around them and realize how science connects to their lives outside the classroom.” The passion behind each project demonstrates how students and the society bring science into the real world, and are the future of science, invested in answering questions and making change.
