Thirteen local students will continue onto the regional science fair in Edmonton after winning top honours at last Wednesday’s Northern Lights School Division science fair in the Devon Community Hall at the Bold Center.
Several student projects at the science fair took an eco-friendly approach with projects on solar-powered cars, environmentally friendly showers and a solar-powered hot dog cooker being just some of the 75 student projects on display.
Ecole Plamondon student Jayden Ludington won third place and a spot in the regionals for his solar car, which is made out of wood and has plastic wheels. It runs from a battery that is charged by the solar panels that lie on top of the wooden car. The local student says he has been perfecting the car design for the past two years and is finally happy with how it looks and runs after numerous revisions.
“It works a lot better now,” said the Grade 8 Plamondon student.
Organizers and visitors to the event were impressed by the skill level and creativity the students put into their projects, including Devon Canada’s Senior Public and Community Affairs Specialist Tracey Thompson who was surprised by the dedication the students showed to their projects.
“It’s hard to believe that they are just kids. I am very impressed,” said Thompson, who explained that Devon Canada donated $2,000 to help pay for the rental cost of the room, food and cash prizes for the winners. This is the third science fair the company has donated to this year.
The organizers of the event were just as impressed with the student projects and congratulate the students on all of their hard work.
“It’s apparent that some of the kids really put the time and effort into their projects,” said Shannon Gallant, a Dr. Swift science teacher and main organizer of the science fair.
The top three winners in all of the grade levels will represent NLSD at the regional science fair in Edmonton on April 9 and 10.
