What You Need To Know About Hillsborough's Regional Science Fair

Brandon Patch editor Linda Chion Kenney attempts to write about a science fair by using the components of a science fair to craft her post. (You can grade her effort in the comment box below.)
______________

The problem is, the science fair rolls around every year, and despite our best efforts as parents to “let the kids do the work themselves,” that’s a lot easier said than done.

So, my question is this: “Is it worth the stress that families put themselves through to engage our children, and especially the young ones, in science learning through competition?

I want to know what you think as well, given the ritualistic nature of the science fair in the nation’s consciousness, and our incredible opportunity as teachers, parents and peers to view, what you have to admit, has been some incredible work over the years. (Post your comments below.)

My hypothesis is this, based not only on my experience as a sometimes proud, sometimes frustrated parent, but also on the many science fairs I’ve covered in my 30 years as a journalist:

If the science fair is intended to get children to think outside of the box, to broaden their research skills, to tap into their natural curiosity, to learn science by doing and to either, a) test their parent’s patience to the max, b) cause an outpouring of pride in accomplishment or c) both of the above, then, heck to the yeah, the exercise is worth it, and especially so in the older grades and among strongly science-minded students, in whom you often see not only the seeds of greatness but the actualization of work that just might one day make a huge difference in our lives.

Just how much so on both accounts will be on display Feb. 7 at the Tampa Convention Center, where the procedure will be as thus for the students participating in the 32nd Annual Hillsborough Regional Science an Engineering Fair, now known as the Hillsborough Regional STEM Fair (with “STEM” standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics):

• For elementary school students, the closed judging will be from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• For students in grades 6 through 12, the closed judging is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• For the public, its observation will be duly recorded from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fed. 8.

Results of the competition will culminate in an awards ceremony Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. for elementary school students and at 8:30 p.m. for student scientists in the secondary grades. Winners will represent Hillsborough County at the 57th Annual State Science & Engineering Fair of Florida at the Lakeland Center, April 3-5.

In conclusion, I do believe I found a creative way to state the purpose of this post in a title posed as a question and to offer a problem statement, detailing what I’d like to know as a result of addressing this issue.

Also, that I stated my hypothesis (clearly, I hope) and then offered some step-by-step directions for exploring the issue further (which in this case involves going to the mega-fair yourselves).

Also, too, that I talked about the results (in this case, the awards) and thus I am concluding this post as such.

Except for two more things:

• If you’re going to the science fair, and you like what you see, feel free to post your comments and photos at Brandon Patch.
• To the more than 1,900 Hillsborough County School District students expected to participate, and to all those kids whose work was displayed at their own schools as well, kudos on another year of hard work in doing your part to extend the community's collective science-fair journey.