Deadline for science fair fast approaching

North Bay Regional Science Fair
News Release

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Now is the time to put finishing touches to science projects for entry into the 45th Annual North Bay Regional Science Fair (NBRSF) one day event, to be held Wednesday, April 2nd in the Education Centre gymnasium with an online registration deadline of March 28th.

This will be one of the most valuable experiences for young scientists, as it presents an opportunity for students to discuss their findings with established members of the scientific community. Five of the top students will be awarded an opportunity to participate in the Canada-Wide Science Fair 2008 to be held in Ottawa, Ontario the week of Sunday, May 11 to May 18.

The schedule of events begins Wednesday morning with registration and project set-up from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., followed by judging from 9:00 a.m. until noon and resuming after lunch from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Awards Ceremony will take place between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.

A science fair project can be self-validating and exciting because it is not just practice, it involves real discovery of little known or even unknown information. Well-done projects usually excel to the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) with potential to enter the Intel International Science and Engineering competition where cash awards, bursaries, scholarships and apprenticeships are abundant. At the regional level, a host of prizes are available for all categories. At the NBRSF, Junior, Intermediate and Senior students from grade 7 to 12 have an opportunity to present their findings in the categories listed below. There are three project types (experiment, innovation or study) that can be performed under one of the following categories as required by the CSWF (visit www.nbrsf.com or www.ysf.ca for more detail).

A Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical science project is the application of knowledge of biological systems to solve a problem, create a product or provide a service. Biotechnology projects fall into one of the three subject fields; crop development, animal science, and microbials.

An Earth & Environmental science project has as its focus either a topic relating to planetary processes or the relationships of organisms to those processes, or between or among organisms.

An Engineering and Computing science project applies to physical science knowledge to solve a problem or achieve a purpose, or deals with computing or an innovative software or hardware design.

A Health Science project examines some biomedical and/or clinical aspect of human life or lifestyle and its translation into improved health for humans, or more effective health services and products.

A Life Science project examines some aspect of the life or life style of an organism.

A Physical and Mathematical science project studies abiotic phenomenon to understand the relation between identified factors, perhaps including a cause and effect relationship, or the use of mathematical models or mathematics to solve theoretical problems.

Interdisciplinary Automotive and Environmental Innovation science projects are those that seem to fit into more than one division. The finalist(s) must choose only one of the divisions. All projects are eligible by self-nomination.

In regards to this year’s Fair, Chair, Mike Pearsall states, “Students work very hard to create innovative projects, deserving of recognition. If they require assistance or mentoring, they can contact any member of our committee to steer them in the right direction." The public is encouraged to view the displays of our brilliant young scientists in the Nipissing/Canadore gymnasium throughout the Fair. For registration and more information visit our website at www.nbrsf.com. If you wish to make a donation to the NBRSF please call Sheri Graham at 497-5521.

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