Regional Science and Engineering Fair

WCE’s Center for Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (CESTEM) hosted the Southeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair on February 7, bringing together students from across southeastern North Carolina to showcase their STEM-related work.

The annual event provides students in grades 3–12 an opportunity to present original projects, with top winners advancing to state and international competitions.

This year, 79 students from public, charter, private and homeschool settings in New Hanover, Pender and Duplin counties participated. The fair was supported by 45 school and community volunteers, many of whom served as judges. Campus and community partners also hosted interactive tables, offering hands-on activities for students and families.

A total of 21 projects, representing 27 students, were nominated to compete at the North Carolina State Science and Engineering Fair in Raleigh on March 20–21.

In another milestone, the regional fair became affiliated this year with the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students. The program reaches more than 65,000 students annually and is administered by the Society for Science, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing STEM education.

Through this affiliation, the top 10% of middle school participants from regional fairs nationwide are eligible to apply to the Junior Innovators Challenge. Selected students may earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., this fall to compete in the national finals and vie for a share of $100,000 in prizes.

“It is an honor for our regional science fair to be affiliated with the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge,” said Heddy Clark, director of the Region 2 Science and Engineering Fair and director of STEM Education and Engagement at UNCW’s Watson College of Education. “This partnership elevates the visibility of students’ hard work and underscores the importance of fostering curiosity, creativity and rigorous scientific thinking. Together, we are helping students in southeastern North Carolina see themselves as innovators whose ideas can shape the future.”

Students nominated for the Junior Innovators Challenge are:

• Andrew King (Cape Fear Center for Inquiry): “Signals in Motion: Measuring Speed Across Data Transmission Methods”
• Mallory Cole (Myrtle Grove Christian School): “That’s How the Cookie Crumbles”
• Vivienne Naegele (Gregory International Middle): “Impact of Native Halophytes on Taxodium distichum Health”

For more information, visit: Junior Innovators Challenge - Society for Science.

The  North Carolina Science Fair Foundation (NCSFF) sponsors the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. The Southeast Regional Fair is held annually on UNCW’s campus with support from volunteers, teachers, and regional coordinators.