SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Nearly 200 students are participating in this year's Youth Engineering Science Fair. The fair is now in its 41st year and is hosted by the Sulphur Springs Valley Elective Cooperative (SSVEC) Foundation.
Kristen Gray, Community Relations Manager for SSVEC, says there are more than 150 projects from students across southeastern Arizona in this year's fair.
“It's a fantastic experience for our science and technology-oriented students because so much emphasis is placed on sports sometimes that we forget that our scientists are really out there saving the world,” she said. “It's a great experience for them to expand their horizons, and so we want to really reward these students for really helping the world be a better place.”
Edward Statler, a seventh grader at Veritas Christian Community School, is competing in his first YES fair.
"I love science," he said. "I like the electricity and the experiments because...it's just so fun.”
Statler says he was looking forward to seeing all the other projects at the fair. His project focused on electromagnets, which earned him a ribbon in his first fair.
“I got the third place award (and) I am very excited," the seventh grader said. "My first reaction was I ran over to my teacher and told her.”
Slater says they're already planning for next year, after getting an idea from seeing the other projects.
"This is an incredible experience for all of our students that participate," Gray said. "They are incredibly innovative projects. They really show how mindful the students are of the environment of technology students.”
The students who won ribbons will be honored in the annual awards banquet, which is happening Friday evening. The banquet will be live-streamed on the SSVEC Facebook page.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
