TODAY: The state’s only K-5 Science & Engineering Fair will be largest ever at GCSU

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) will host its annual state science competition for kindergarten through fifth grade from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at Centennial Center.

It’ll be the largest group of elementary students since the fair started in 2018.

This year, 49 school districts across Georgia will send 439 K-5 students presenting 317 projects to compete in the state fair. All projects in Thursday’s competition won first place in local school districts.

“This competition started 6 years ago as Georgia College was the only regional competition in the state still holding K-5 fairs. Other regions wanted to send their students to us,” said Dr. Catrena Lisse, director of the university’s Science Education Center.

“We expanded beyond our region and became the official K-5 state science and engineering fair,” she said. “It’s exciting to see so many young people engaging in the scientific process and solving the mysteries of their own curiosity.”

Several new school systems from North and Southeastern Georgia will be at the fair this year. Counties participating from Central Georgia include Baldwin, Bibb, Jones, Monroe, Washington and Wilkinson.

The K-5 State Science Fair follows the 46th Annual Regional Science & Engineering Fair for 6-12th graders held at Georgia College in February. Several projects at that fair experimented with spiders, sugar and humidity.

Topics for the upcoming the K-5 level include:

• studying the aerodynamics of paper airplanes
• investigating the strength of triangle trusses to build stronger bridges
• exploring the chemistry of making big bubbles
• using electric motors to improve transportation in metro areas
• considering the optimum angle for kicking a football. 

About 180 Georgia College students will volunteer at the science fair, along with more than 120 professional judges who specialize in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Activities for participants include a STEM marketplace and movie, engineering design challenges, science games and tours of the university’s Natural History Museum and new Integrated Science Complex.

Students will be at their project exhibits starting at 8 a.m. with judging from 10 a.m. to noon. The fair is open to the public from 1:30 to 4 p.m., and the awards ceremony is at 5 p.m. at Centennial Center.

“As a scientist, I have an obligation to share my love of science with our youth, especially our smallest ones, in order to keep their interest alive as they grow,” Lisse said. “By the time they reach middle and high school, either the seed of love for science has been planted and nurtured or it hasn't.”