Results are in from the 2023 Harvest Best Academy (HBA) Science Fair. This spring scholars in grades 5th through 8th at Best Academy Middle School were busy working with our Sustainability Educators to create projects demonstrating their mastery of the scientific method. Scholars and educators took several months to design experiments that would prove or disprove hypothesis around an area of their interest.

Experiments ranged from testing the most effective ways of washing your hands, to encouraging mushroom growth through music. Community volunteers and Spark-Y staff worked to guide the students as they conducted experiments and built displays demonstrating their results. Volunteers dedicated up to 94 hours in the classroom!

  • Over the course of two days the students presented their findings to over 300 peers at the school, their parents, Spark-Y staff and some of our community partners. 

  • The experiments were judged by a panel of volunteers from the community and some of our corporate sponsors.

  •  One of our volunteers was able to both assist the students while they developed their projects in the classroom and also was a judge at the fair. He said, “The science fair went really well! The kids were a lot of fun and it was great seeing how their projects turned out.”

Students were judged based on the following criteria:

  • Topic/Question

  • Methodology & Results

  • Innovation

  • Presentation

  • Display Board

The criteria outlined above helped the students practice proficiency in the scientific method and become better science communicators for the future. The students all improved their observational skills, public speaking skills, expanded their curiosity and their ability to follow through with questions. 

5th graders Queen Swen and Najma Ahmed experimented with soap, water and hand sanitizers to see what was most effective at removing germs. Hand sanitizer was determined to be the most effective when used properly! 6th graders Malaya McLaurin and Edwina Smith researched what has more electrolytes, orange juice or orange sports drink.  

7th graders Fiema Dunor and Markeya Walker grew sugar crystals to see what type of sugar was best for making candy. Fiema and Markeya learned how to apply their experience to real life: "If I had a candy business, I would know how to make the perfect rock candy by applying the supersaturation recipe to my candy. The more sugar, the more crystals!". 

When asked; "If you did this experiment again, how would you improve it and why?" they responded, "Next time I will use more cups of sugar while creating sugar crystals.”

Rylee Limo and Ariana Lewis conducted their experiment on how smell affects taste. Rylee and Ariana concluded that taste does have an affect on our sense of smell. People at the fair and in the experiment typically mistook the flavors that they tasted when their noses were plugged.

We were all inspired by their creativity and dedication, as well as the dedication from the Spark-Y team who helped make this happen. The event was sponsored by Spark-Y: Youth Action Labs, Cargill, Medtronic, and Harvest Best Academy.  

Leave a comment: How will these students inspire you this week?