North Gwinnett News

The Gwinnett County Regional Science, Engineering + Innovation Fair is set to celebrate its 46th anniversary on February 23, 2024. The event will be held at the Gas South District in Duluth and will showcase over 750 projects from students across 107 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools. Additionally, one special entity and four non-Gwinnett County Public Schools operating within the county will participate.

More than 1,000 students are expected to present their research and engineering projects. Middle and high school participants will be judged by professionals from around the world as part of the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair affiliated competition. This year’s fair includes 22 project categories such as Biomedical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Environmental Engineering, and Robotics & Intelligent Machines.

Jessica Holden, GCPS director of Middle and High School Science, remarked on the quality of this year's submissions: “Student projects this year show that our students are passionate about problem-solving and making the world a better place for others.” Projects range from identifying new chemotherapy drugs using machine learning to designing a no-cost water filter made from natural resources.

Elementary school students will also have an opportunity to display their work in a separate fair designed to foster interest in STEM subjects through Design Thinking. Kristin Luthi, director of Science K-5, emphasized the importance of early exposure to STEM: “We firmly believe that early exposure to STEM subjects is crucial for shaping the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow.”

Participants at all levels can engage with judges through project interviews and attend STEM workshops featuring activities with over 20 local and global community partners. These interactions aim to provide insights into STEM careers.

Holden highlighted the impact of these engagements: “Engaging in person with experts in their project field makes the Regional Fair an inspirational and transformative opportunity for students.”

This year's sponsors include PCOM Georgia as Presenting Sponsor; Broadcom Foundation as Award Sponsor; Boehringer Ingelheim as Innovation in Action Sponsor; among others like Amazon and Piedmont Healthcare.

In total, more than $30,000 worth of scholarships, special awards, and project advancements will be awarded at this year’s fair. The top high school projects could earn a trip to compete at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May.

For further information about this event or science education within Gwinnett County Public Schools visit www.gwinnettsciencefair.com or contact Jessica Holden at 678-301-7036.