Science Fair Students Win Scholarships

Chance Kirchner

Richard Cleary

We are very excited to announce that in our second year of competition at the Thomas Alva Edison Regional Science Fair, which this year was held on January 29, 2011 in Fort Myers, two Summit middle schoolers won scholarship awards, and one will be our first contestant in the State Science Fair. Chance Kirchner (6th grade) was one of 14 Junior Division (Middle School) participants from the four-county Southwest Florida region who was selected to attend the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida, March 23-25 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. His project, “What is the Peak Age of Our Brain’s Capability?” not only won first place honors in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category, but also a four-year FGCU Scholarship and the Imaginarium Award.

Science Fair participants Ashley Carlton, Hannah Crosby, Emma Heald, Trey Cerwinsky, Emily Walsh, and Richard Cleary

Jonathan Skaggs

Richard Cleary (6th grade) also won first place in the category of “Engineering: Materials and Building.” His project, titled “You Nailed It! Hammering Forces in Different Types of Wood” earned him a one-year scholarship to Edison State College. Meanwhile, Hannah Crosby (7th grade) took 3rd place in the Environmental Management category for her project titled “Goo-Be-Gone: Cleaning Up Oil Spills,” Jonathan Skaggs (8th grade) won an honorable mention in the Physics and Astronomy category for his project titled “What Boat Hull Has the Least Amount of Drag?” and Ashley Carlton and Emma Heald (7th grade) won the American Psychological Association Award for their team project titled “Accuracy of Eyewitness Testimony.”

We are very proud of all our Regional Science Fair contestants and congratulate them for their hard work and success in using the scientific method.