Hundreds of Kern County students brought their science projects to downtown Bakersfield for the county’s annual regional science fair at the Dignity Health Arena.
“This year’s science fair, we have over 700 students represented all the way from fourth to 12th grade,” said Chelsey Lancaster, a STEM program specialist with KCSOS. Lancaster said projects span a wide range of categories, including “chemistry to materials science, plant biology, mammalian biology, and the list goes on and on.”
Lancaster said one project that stood out to her was one that is testing oral ozempic. She called it “very culturally relevant.”
Fourth through sixth grade students sit alongside their science projects at the annual KCSOS Science Fair PHOTO: KBFX
The fair’s judging includes volunteers from local STEM industries. “I believe there’s over 200 judges who are volunteering their time right now,” Lancaster added
She said first- and second-place winners advance to the California state science fair. She also said two students will participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix in May.
Students often begin preparing months in advance, Lancaster said. “Some schools start all the way in September, right when school starts,” she said, adding that school-level science fairs typically wrap up in December and January before students advance to the county event.
For those interested in volunteering or learning more about future science fairs, information is available at kern.org