By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Palisadian-Post Junior Reporter Carys Thompson recently competed in the 68th annual California Science & Engineering Fair at the California Science Center—the final science fair of the academic year for students throughout the state of California in grades six through 12.
Thompson’s project, which advanced to the fair after being presented at her school and the Los Angeles County Science Fair, examined what is the most effective method of getting rid of fruit flies. Over the course of a month, she tested both homemade and commercial products, and found that Aunt Fannie’s Fruit Fly Punch was the best product.
“At my school, it was very competitive and people took it very seriously,” Thompson shared of her science fair experience.
Nine hundred and forty-seven students from 404 schools presented 801 projects in the competition for awards totaling nearly $70,000.
Six projects were selected at the statewide fair to advance to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, which Thompson described as the “science fair of all science fairs.”
Though Thompson’s presentations ended at the California fair, she shared that she learned a lot from her time.
“I learned that you have to be prepared for whatever the judges ask you,” she said. She recommended that those interested in competing should take their projects one step at a time and don’t panic, “because if you panic, you’re not going to get anywhere.”
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