WINNERS PREPARE FOR STATE COMPETITION
On March 10, the Mendocino County Office of Education (MCOE) sponsored the 32nd annual Mendocino County Science Fair, where 250 students submitted 183 projects, representing 23 local schools. The top 10 submissions advance to the California state science fair, scheduled for April 23-24 at the California Science Center, Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Organizers there expect about 900 participants from 400 schools throughout the state to compete for more than $50,000 in awards.
Kimberly Barden, MCOE Student Events Manager thanked the team of dedicated educators, parents and community members who worked together to make the event possible. She said, “The Mendocino County Office of Education really appreciates the teachers, science fair coordinators and parents who support the curiosity and commitment of these students in the field of science. We also deeply appreciate the 54 judges and other volunteers who made this event go so smoothly.”
Mendocino County students in grades 3-12 submitted science fair projects in several ways: as part of class projects, as teams (with two or three members), or as individuals. They entered projects in a wide variety of categories, including behavioral/health/social sciences, biological sciences, earth sciences, ecology/environmental sciences, engineering/technology (Earth/Space), mathematics as it relates to physical sciences, and physical sciences.
Top Row Left to Right: Francisco Muniz, Jessica Cronin, Mariah Cox, Stephan Brundate, John Michael Kale, Willow Dawn Winder
Middle Row Left to Right: Alana Richert, Madeline Armstrong, Ingrid Mendoza, Vanessa Mercado
Bottom Row Left to Right: Adrian Guo, Kessler Dyche, Cole Fowler, Carson Galletti, Tyler Simerson, Audrey Sherf
Not Pictured: Jack Buckingham, Jadyn Arnold
The winners are listed below.
CALIFORNIA STATE SCIENCE FAIR
Ten projects and five alternate projects are eligible to advance to at the California State Science Fair. The Mendocino County Science Fair state judges selected the following students in grades 6-12 with Class A Projects to compete at the state level (in no particular order).
California State Science Fair – Qualifiers
| Grade Level | Student(s) | Project Title | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-8 | Francisco Muniz | Coiled and Ready: The Effects of Copper Coils on Steamboats | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| 6-8 | Adrian Guo | Electrolytes & Gatorade | Instilling Goodness Elementary Boys School |
| 6-8 | Tyler Simreson | Heavy Metal Breakfast | St. Mary's Ukiah |
| 9-12 | Stephany Brundage | Using the C Locus Color Alleles to Prove that Oryctolagus coniculus Ovulates Extra Eggs with a Subsequent Covering (The Rabbit Maury Show) | Willits Charter School |
| 6-8 | John Michael Kale | Magnet Powers | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
| 9-12 | Mariah Cox | A Plentiful and Inexpensive Fertilizer Alternative: Human Urine | Laytonville High School |
| 9-12 | Jessica Cronin | The Effectiveness of a Homemade vs. Professionally Used Density Gradients | Willits Charter School |
| 6-8 | Audrey Sherf | Save Our Soil | Willits Charter School |
| 6-8 | Cole Fowler Carson Galletti | Up in Flames | St. Mary's Ukiah |
| 6-8 | Kessler Dyche | Are Perpetual Motion Machines Possible? | Eagle Peak Middle School |
California State Science Fair – Alternates
| Grade Level | Student(s) | Project Title | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-8 | Jack Buckingham Jadyn Arnold | The Amazing Adventures of the Hovercraft | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
| 6-8 | Madeline Armstrong | From Garbage to Gorgeous | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| 6-8 | Alana RichertKellie Crisman Chantel Alarcon | Testing 1, 2, 3 | Anderson Valley Elementary School |
| 6-8 | Willow Daun-Widner | Sugar on the Brain | Willits Charter School |
| 6-8 | Ingrid Mendoza Vanessa Mercado | Detecting Bacteria | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
LOGO CONTEST WINNERS
Grades 3-5
Hailey Dausman – Calpella Elementary School
Grades 6-8
Ashlynn Johnson – Three Rivers Charter School
ELEMENTARY DIVISION – CLASS A PROJECTS
Earth Science-Grades 3-4
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Allie Grade Southwick Sofia Vaccaro | The Project That Glows | Sherwood School |
| Silver | Izabella Sims | Water Cycle | Willits Elementary Charter School |
| Bronze | Mason Stornetta | Comparing Soils | Manchester Union Elementary School |
Life Science-Grades 3-4
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Rudra Knoles | Caffeine vs. Plant Growth | Instilling Goodness Elementary Boys School |
| Silver | Abigail Sherf | Light Lovin’ Leaves | Willits Elementary Charter School |
| Bronze | Caitlin Richert Alan Mendoza Samuel Mejia | Mummification Science | Anderson Valley Elementary School |
Physical Science-Grades 3-4
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Matthew Posey | Got Milk? | Willits Elementary Charter School |
| Silver | Nadia Jacobs | Pollution Solution | Blosser Lane Elementary School |
| Bronze | Nova Knodle | Fire vs. Ice | Willits Elementary Charter School |
Earth Science-Grade 5
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Kendahl Potter | pHat Water | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Silver | Kaylie Reeser | Wave Energy Generator | Instilling Goodness Elementary Girls School |
| Bronze | Alexander Miya | Floating Water | Sherwood School |
Life Science-Grade 5
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Jade L’Heureux | Squirmy Wormy | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Silver | Tristan Lawyer | Rare Wonders, Can We Keep Them Alive? | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Bronze | Kaleb Whitehurst | A Goat’s Favorite Color | Willits Elementary Charter School |
Physical Science-Grade 5
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Paige Allenbaugh Vivian Cannon | Energy From Colors | Oak Manor Elementary School |
| Silver | Melia Mendoza | Building Up The Fizz | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Bronze | Spencer Wood | Testing Particulate Filter | Eagle Peak Middle School |
JUNIOR DIVISIONS – CLASS A PROJECTS
Earth Science-Grades 6-8
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Cole Fowler Carson Galletti | Save Our Soil | Willits Charter School |
| Silver | Alana Richert Kellie Crisman Chanel Alarcon | Testing 1, 2, 3 | Anderson Valley Elementary School |
| Bronze | Katherine Wood | Tidepool Timer | Willits Charter School |
Life Science A-Grades 6-8
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Audrey Sherf | Bristly Clean Bristles | St. Mary of the Angels Catholic School |
| Silver | John Michael Kale | Magnet Powers | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
| Bronze | Madeline Armstrong | From Garbage to Gorgeous | Eagle Peak Middle School |
Life Science B-Grades 6-8
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Ingrid Mendoza Vanessa Mercado | Detecting Bacteria | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
| Silver | Tyler Simreson | Heavy Metal Breakfast | St. Mary’s Ukiah |
| Bronze | Willow Daun-Widner | Sugar on the Brain | Willits Charter School |
Physical Science-Grades 6-8
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Francisco Muniz | Coiled and Ready: The Effects of Copper Coils on Steamboats | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Silver | Adrian Guo | Electrolytes & Gatorade | Instilling Goodness Elementary Boys School |
| Bronze | Daniel Castro | Cars & Energy | Manchester Union Elementary School |
SENIOR DIVISIONS – CLASS A PROJECTS
Earth Science-Grades 9-12
Gold Medal: Mariah Cox – A Plentiful and Inexpensive Fertilizer Alternative: Human Urine (Laytonville High School)
Life Science A-Grades 9-12
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Stephany Brundate | Using the C Locus Color Alleles to Prove that Oryctolagus coniculus Ovulates Extra Eggs with a Subsequent Covering (The Rabbit Maury Show) | Willits Charter School |
| Silver | Heaven Siderakis Josh Redding | Myth-Busters: The 5 Second Rule | Willits Charter School |
Life Science B-Grades 9-12
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Elaine Wu | Methods of Memorization | Developing Virtue Secondary School (Girls Division) |
| Silver | Emily Barbitta Lauren Van Pelt | Stereotypes | Willits Charter School |
Physical Science-Grades 9-12
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Jessica Cronin | The Effectiveness of a Homemade vs. Professionally Used Density Gradients | Willits Charter School |
| Silver | Caleb Christman | Rust-eze | Willits Charter School |
| Bronze | Sammie St. Pierre | M & M Math | Willits Charter School |
JUNIOR DIVISION ENGINEERING – CLASS C PROJECTS
Grades 6-8
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Jack Buckingham Jadyn Arnold | The Amazing Adventures of the Hovercraft | Baechtel Grove Middle School |
| Silver | Kessler Dyche | Are Perpetual Motion Machines Possible? | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Bronze | Tokyo Jordan | Hover Car | Willits Charter School |
SENIOR DIVISION ENGINEERING – CLASS C PROJECTS
Grades 9-12
Gold Medal: Hanna Bouthillier – Measuring Wind Speed (Willits High School)
DISPLAYS/DEMONSTRATIONS – CLASS B PROJECTS
Grades 3-5
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Tristan Ireland | Why We Need BiMetallic Coils | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Silver | Nicole Muniz | Cata – Pull and Fire | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Bronze | Bryceton Woodruf | Do Magnets and Copper Create Energy? | Do Magnets and Copper Create Energy? |
Grades 6-12
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Audrey Chan Haiqi Long | Eco-Friendly Calligraphy | Developing Virtue Secondary School (Girls Division) |
| Silver | Talan Kreck | Whaaa…that’s in my water? | Arena Union Elementary School |
| Bronze | Alex Breier Talan Terlouw | What cigarettes do to your lungs | Arena Union Elementary School |
CLASSROOM – CLASS D PROJECTS
Grades 3-5
| Medal | Name | Project | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Elijah Kirkley | Video Games vs. Reading | Eagle Peak Middle School |
| Silver | Mrs. Bauer’s Class | Which hand? | Blosser Lane Elementary School |
| Bronze | Mrs. Grooms’ Class | Rethink Your Drink | Blosser Lane Elementary School |
SPECIAL AWARDS Kendahl Potter from Eagle Peak Middle School, Ingrid Mendoza and Vanessa Mercado from Baechtel Grove Middle School, and Jessica Cronin from Willits Charter received the Evelyn Smith Excellence in Science Awards, an award established by MCOE in memory of Evelyn Smith who enthusiastically supported science education. Her efforts on behalf of the science fair benefited students, instructors and the community.
Mariah Cox from Laytonville High School received the California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS) Award. This award recognizes students’ scientific study and encourages them to continue developing their scientific interests. Students eligible for this award must be in grades 7-11 and meet certain criteria by CAPS.
Baechtel Creek Medical Clinic in Willits sponsored two Outstanding Junior Science Awards for a project done by an individual student in grades 3 or 4, and in grade 5. Micha Caceres from Tree of Life Charter and Spencer Wood from Eagle Peak Middle School received a Certificate of Achievement and a check in the amount of $50 from Baechtel Creek Medical Clinic representative Erin Vaccaro.
Eagle Peak Middle School student Julian Maldonado received the UC ANR Hopland Research and Extension Center Award for Excellence in Environmental Science/Ecology. This award goes to a science project that demonstrates a strong understanding and awareness of the complexities of our ecosystems and a novel method of addressing the challenges to these systems. The winning project receives a certificate, a wildlife trail camera, and the opportunity to spend half a day at the Hopland Research and Extension Center learning about the research projects conducted the with lunch provided (for up to six students/parents).
Stephany Brundage from Willits Charter received the Paul Joens-Poulton Avantarde Award. This award honors Joens-Poulton’s effort in spearheading the county science fair and his promotion of scientific education for students within the county. This award recognizes a project that would be characterized as advanced, unorthodox and/or experimental.