Science Fair Team - Off to Taiwan! Vancouver, BC – On January 30th, two British Columbia students and an educator will board a plane for Taipei, Taiwan to represent British Columbia and Canada at the annual Taiwan International Science Fair to be held February 4th to February 10th, 2013. Emily O’Reilly is a Grade 12 student at College Heights Secondary School in Prince George and Victoria Platzer is a Grade 9 student at Bert Bowes Middle School in Fort St. John. They will be accompanied by educator Darren Platzer from Fort St. John. Emily who attended the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 will be bringing her most recent project, “Ancient Knowledge – Modern Approach” to Taiwan. For this project, Emily was able to remove cyanide from apricot kernels in order to determine the effects of the kernel extracts on bacterial infections. She demonstrated compelling evidence for the controversial belief that there are one or more compounds in the apricot kernel that have specific antibacterial properties. For Victoria’s project, “Hay Aliens”, which she brought to her second CWSF in 2014, she collected hay from 22 farms in the North Peace region, sifted through it all to obtain 5,568 potential seeds that she then photographed and planted. Her results showed that 628 of the potential seeds were invasive plants species all of which either cause pain to animals or have the potential to overtake the native plants. The students’ week at the Taiwan Fair will include involvement in cultural activities, presentation to judges and a public exhibition of their work. Ms. O’Reilly and Ms. Platzer are science fair veterans – both have participated in their local Regional Science Fairs and at the national Canada-Wide Science Fair. Come spring, thousands of British Columbia students will present projects for school science fairs. As a result they will develop an appreciation for scientific research as they engage in their own discoveries, prepare displays and present their work. At least 2,500 of these young scientists, from schools throughout British Columbia, will take part in the annual Regional Science Fairs in April. “Through scientific research, Science Fair participants are able to gain important life and job skills which help reveal where new career opportunities exist”, said Patti Leigh, Founder and Executive Director, Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia. “Science fairs allow students to stretch their imaginations and intellect, and they provide a chance for young scientists to network with their peers and with potential mentors. Attendance by British Columbian students at the Taiwan International Science Fair is part of an International science fair exchange program established by the Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia. British Columbia Regional Science Fairs are supported by the Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia. ow.ly/I38xR
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 21:46:37 +0000
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