CEHS partnered with CASNR to host the Southeast Regional Science Fair on Friday, March 29. This regional science fair is one of six regional science fairs sponsored by the Nebraska Junior Academy of Science (NJAS). As an affiliate of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences (NAS), NJAS seeks to stimulate science education and to encourage young people to become involved in science and science research.
This new CEHS/CASNR partnership spawned a banner year in terms of student and judge participation for the Southeast Regional Science Fair. By the numbers there were:
• 94 middle and high school students
• 40 junior division projects (grades 6-8)
• 45 senior division projects (grades 9-12)
• 10 middle or high schools (Aquinas Catholic High School, Ashland Greenwood Middle School, Beatrice High School, Johnson-Brock Public School, LPS Lefler Middle School, LPS Moore Middle School, LPS Science Focus Program, Raymond Central School, Seward Middle School, Waverly Middle School)
• 44 judges (faculty, staff, graduate students, and emeriti faculty)
• more than 15 volunteer students helped out throughout the event.
Science Fair student participants enjoyed a morning of science fair competition, a pizza lunch speaker-and-awards ceremony, and their choice of science laboratory tours on city or east campuses in the afternoon. Tour options ranged from Nebraska Innovation Studio to Solving Crimes with Science, Sports and Exercise Nutrition, and Robotics and Tech Toys in the Classroom.
Judges helped to select the top junior division and top senior division projects, enabling these students to compete in the NJAS State Science Fair to be held later in April. These winners were also offered scholarships to CEHS or CASNR if they come to UNL as freshmen and enroll in a major in either college. Winners at the State Science Fair will then be eligible to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May 2019.