30 Manitoba students are home after participating in the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) in Edmonton, the largest youth STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) event in Canada.
The annual event sees regional science fair winners compete for cash prizes, university entrance scholarships, and opportunities to showcase their projects abroad at international competitions.
Baljot Rai arrived carrying his project sign, covered with signatures of other students he met at the fair. Rai was selected as a finalist for the Canadian Stockholm Junior Water Prize for his work using zebra mussel shells to absorb phospherous in water. He and two other students from CWSF will submit reports on their projects, and the winner will compete for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden in August 2023.
“It’s just so wonderful being with other like-minded people,” he said. “It was all in all just an excellent experience.”
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Silver medalist Anqi Guan also enjoyed spending time with other young scientists.
“It was really fun and cool meeting new people and being able to talk to others about their projects and what they did throughout the year,” she said.
The week-long event takes place in a different Canadian city each year, but the past two fairs were held online due to COVID-19 restrictions. Annika Paliwal, a grade 12 bronze medal winner, has participated the past four years. For her, the past week has been bittersweet.
“It was… a pretty emotional experience for me,” she said. “I am in grade 12, so I am graduating in a month. It was my last Canada-Wide Science Fair. In the last 24 hours have been a lot of tears, a lot of strong emotions, but Iam very grateful to have had this opportunity.”
Students qualify for the (CWSF) at their regional science fairs. Eight Manitoba regions were represented, and 15 students brought home awards.
$1.6 million in scholarships were presented over the course of this year’s CWSF. Next year’s competition takes place May 11-17 in Ottawa, Ontario.
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