Langara to host Vancouver District Science Fair

Langara is hosting the Vancouver District Science Fair on March 7,where over 200 Grade 7-12 students from Vancouver public schools will fill the gymnasium and display their projects.

This is Langara’s second year hosting the fair, which last year received “positive feedback” from the Vancouver School Board, said Langara spokesperson Pearl Lam.

The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m.

Students and their projects 

Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School participants added final touches to their projects on Feb. 26 as their anticipation rose for the upcoming fair.

“I’m very excited,” said Cormac Chui, 16, while standing proudly next to his colourful cardboard display.

Chui and partner Mason Shum will be presenting an experiment they conducted on the safety of different speed skating helmet styles.

“We did a lot of research,” said Chui. This is his second year participating in the fair, after his project last year advanced him to the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair.

Partners Tina Cheng, 15, and Lena Su, 16, shared Chui’s excitement for the fair, but first-time fair goer Cheng said she was nervous as well. The pair spent many hours researching whether three Vancouver fast food restaurants’ ice is dirtier then toilet water.

Su said she’s very glad to have been chosen to compete in the fair but can’t help feeling anxious.

“There must be a lot of people better then [us],” she said.

Good networking opportunities 

A committee of close to 70 science teachers from the Vancouver school district came together to organize the fair. Leading the committee is Jeanne Lu, science and biology teacher at Sir Winston Secondary School.

“It’s a really good opportunity for students to network with professors,” Lu said. “Students can talk about their project but also do something fun science-related, and I think in the classroom we don’t have enough of that opportunity.”

As well as presenting their projects, students will get the chance to participate in workshops around the college.

Winners are chosen during the fair, “which is really, really fun for them,” Lam said. The award ceremony is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

Eighty-five of the top-scoring students will go on to the larger Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair in April.

Reported by Karly Blats