Organizers of the Lambton County Science Fair are gearing up to hold its 50thannual event on March 31 and April 1 at Lambton College. Committee member Peter Smith explained the science fair is much older than 50 years, but 1973 was the first year the organization became a charity.

Much of the history of the science fair has been lost prior to 1973, but Smith is hoping people will come forward to recount their memories of participating in the science fair, especially in the early days of the event. The Lambton County Science Fair has a Facebook page, where people can recount their memories.

Participation levels in the science fair have taken a hit since the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 94 projects and 130 students taking part in 2019, said Smith, before the 2020 science fair was cancelled. There were 41 projects in 2021 and Smith hopes there will be a further increase in entries this year.

Cash prizes are awarded to the best entries in four categories, Exhibition, Grade 3 to 5; Junior, Grade 6 to 8; Intermediate, Grade 9 to 10; and Senior, Grade 11 to 12. The best projects are in the intermediate and senior categories are eligible to go to the Canada Wide Science Fair.

Annabelle Rayson, a Grade 11 student from St. Patrick’s High School in Sarnia went on to last year’s Canada Wide Science Fair winning numerous awards for her project, Plankton Wars: An Innovative Analysis of Daphnia Genotype Biomaniuplation for Algae Bloom Prevention. She also won the Junior Water Prize in Stockholm, Sweden and third prize at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Leiden, Netherlands.

Smith hopes Rayson’s success will inspire other students to enter science fair projects in the 2023 event.

Blake Ellis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent