Every February, participants in the Brevard County science fair compete to win scholarships and bids to the state fair. This year, West Shore students compete on Friday, Feb. 7 at the Melbourne Square Mall. In previous years, the school has excelled in the fair, with students winning fourteen awards at the 69th State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida in April of last year.

“It’s going to be an even bigger challenge with Holy Trinity [Episcopal Academy] in our division now,” sophomore Payton Gross said. “They have a lot more connections and larger access to lab resources.”

To prepare for this, students said they are spending even more time than previous years practicing for the judges.

“I do a lot of preparation and mock presentations with my dad,” sophomore Madison Shi said. “He always gives me feedback and helps me to improve my project.”

The science fair is an opportunity for all students to compete in putting their creativity to the test. Sophomore Sophie Miles said she investigated the correlation between student interaction with teachers and their stress levels, and Gross created a prototype of chewing gum that releases nutrients to help women with PCOS. 

“I’ve been through this before, and I feel pretty prepared for the questions and presenting,” Miles said. “I’ll probably run through it a couple times with my friends, but overall I think I’m pretty ready.”

By Reagan Hill