Stanton Students Participating in Hudson STEM Project Fair

Science, technology, engineering and math – commonly referred to as STEM fields – will be in the spotlight when hosts the Hudson STEM Project Fair on Saturday.

And, for the first time, students will be among the participants.

The science fair, spotlighting the work of students in grades four through 12, will be held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom and Balcony on the Kent campus.

The project display area is free and open to the public for viewing from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Chip Hawks, gifted intervention specialist at Stanton, said 55 students in the school’s Gifted and Talented Program are participating in the fair with many team projects.

“I have a group of students who are testing different geometric fin designs on model rocket altitude. Another group started an internet radio station – WNPS ‘Stanton’s Hit Radio Station’ – and is collecting data from surveys and graphs to make changes and increase listenership,” Hawks explained.

“Another student is testing which methods are the most accurate for estimating the value of Pi: Monte Carlos method or by finding the area of a circle on the coordinate plane,” he added.

Hawks started making plans to involve his gifted students as early as last July after making contact with Sheila King, founder of the Hudson STEM Alliance and director of the project fair.

Student displays will feature poster boards, notebooks detailing their research methods and some lab demonstrations. There are 375 students registered for the event, with 250 projects to be featured – some of which are group efforts.

The event is sponsored by Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences and organized by the Hudson STEM Alliance and the Six District Educational Compact.

“We are pleased to host this event highlighting the importance of STEM education,” said Dr. Timothy Moerland, dean of Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Kent State is committed to expanding opportunities in these fields, which are critical in terms of job growth and economic development.”

Flash, Kent State’s mascot, will be on hand from 10 to 11 a.m. to meet with families and cheer on the proceedings. While on campus, high school students also will have the opportunity to attend “Explore Kent Science Day,” hosted by Kent State’s departments of biology, chemistry, and physics.

“There will be some amazing projects on display,” said Dr. Robin Selinger, professor of chemical physics at Kent State's Liquid Crystal Institute and president of the Hudson STEM Alliance.

“Last year, one of our local students went on to regional and state competitions and then to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles. I can't wait to see what projects our kids have come up with this year,” she added.

The Hudson STEM Alliance is an advocacy group of parents and community members dedicated to promoting interest and participation in STEM activities.

“Hands-on experience with a research project is a great way for students to prepare for careers in science and engineering,” Selinger said. “We hope many of these students will be inspired to take advanced science and math courses in high school, go on to STEM majors in college, and maybe even earn a masters or Ph.D. Some of our most advanced local high school students enroll in college-level STEM courses and science internships through Kent State's Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program.”