April 1st, 2005 Meeting Notes

Abstract:

2005 Chicago Public Schools Student Science Fair

The 55th Annual Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Student Science Fair originated in 1950 as a vehicle to encourage and motivate young science students. Since then, a volunteer army of teachers and administrators has sustained this exemplary program. The objectives of the Student Science Fair are to:

• educate youth for scientific careers
• encourage scientifically talented youth
• obtain science scholarships for gifted science students
• maintain perpetual interest in fostering scientific research, invention and technological development
• promote scientific interests and hobbies of students
• conduct an annual science fair

More than 10,000 students entered with their projects, beginning at the local school level. Local school winners then exhibited at the area level. Approximately 350 winners from 24 areas then exhibited at the Museum of Science and Industry. Of these ~350 students/projects, roughly 65 then proceeded to the Illinois Junior Academy State Science Fair at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Four from this ~65 have been sent to the International Science and Engineering Fair held May 8-14, 2005 in Phoenix, AZ.

TMAC selected projects at the Museum of Science and Industry for an award in the following catagories:

	Chemistry - Ibrahim Kamal Keeping an Ion Rehydration? - 10th Grade at Schurz H/S Download the Paper (PDF, 310kb)
	Computer Science - Michael Brandt The Prisoner's Dilemma - 10th Grade at Lincoln Park H/S
	Engineering Science - Shaun Humes The Turbine-Controlled RAM Air Intake - 9th Grade at Payton H/S
	Environmental Science - Blake Murphy Can Ryegrass Phytoremediate Petroleum Compounds? - 8th Grade at Hawthorne M/S Download the Paper (PDF, 159kb)

Special thanks/recognition go to Ron Walling who received an award for his 25 years of continuous involvement in CPS's Student Science Fair.