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Westlock and District Science Fair moving to virtual platform

Pembina Hills and St. Mary School students asked to submit videos explaining science projects by 4 p.m. on March 12
WES - SMS science fair
St. Mary School Grade 4 students Ian Kneller and Greg Henderson stand in front of their experiment at the school’s science fair held Feb. 25. The duo’s experiment tested to see which fruit or vegetable allowed for the greatest electrical current.

WESTLOCK - The Westlock and District Science Fair, which is open to all students in the Pembina Hills School Division and St. Mary School in Westlock, is moving to a virtual platform this year. 

Typically, the annual Science Fair is held at a setting like the Westlock Community Hall, where dozens of students display their projects for judging and public viewing. Obviously, that was not possible with COVID-19 and the restrictions on large indoor gatherings. 

“As a Science Council we talked about what to do this year since we couldn't get together in person for the Science Fair,” said Tammy Tkachuk, president of the council. 

 “We did not want to simply cancel the fair; students look forward to it and we wanted to keep the love of science going. So we decided to make it a virtual showcase.” 

As part of this first-ever Westlock and District Virtual Science Showcase, students can shoot a short video of no more than 10 minutes discussing their science project and then submit it to the showcase website by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 12. 

The website already has a sample script and will soon add a list of questions and answers that students should consider as part of their explanation. 

It also contains samples of the registration and Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) forms that must be submitted along with a student’s video. 

Like other years, students still need to build a tri-fold board displaying information about their science project. They may also incorporate logbooks or other materials. 

Schools are also welcome to hold their own in-house science fairs and help students to record and share their projects. 

One big difference with the virtual showcase, however, is that projects will not be judged this year. 

Tkachuk said they are not judging projects because they weren’t sure what kind of response they would get to the virtual format and the logistics of sharing videos with judges “seemed a little daunting.” Also, there is no in-person regional science fair for students to advance to. 

“We thought we would take this year to simply celebrate science and encourage all students to showcase their learning. All those students who participate will receive recognition for their hard work,” she said. 

Tkachuk indicated the hope is to upload all submitted videos uploaded to the Virtual Science Showcase website for public viewing by March 25. It should be stressed that the videos cannot be displayed without completing the registration and FOIP forms.

Kevin Berger, TownandCountryToday.com


Kevin Berger

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