National Inventors Hall of Fame® School ... Center for STEM Learning

March 20, 2010

At a regional science fair open to all schools in Northeast Ohio, two learners from the National Inventors Hall of Fame® School … Center for Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) Learning qualified to present their science projects in Columbus on May 8 at the state science fair.

This is a huge accomplishment because in the past, the regional science fair was limited to grades 7 and higher, but this year 5^th and 6^th graders were allowed to compete. Now these NIHF-STEM students are among the first of their age to travel to the state competition.

Kyle Fertig, a fifth grader and Conner Seitzinger, a sixth grader both received a “superior” designation on their projects at a local science fair on Jan. 30 hosted by Akron Public Schools. This qualified them, along with 20 of their classmates, to present at the regional science fair.

The project Kyle is taking to the state competition is titled “Addition and Cancellation of Sound Waves,” and just as the name would imply, the experiment tests sound waves. Conner’s project is titled “Fact or Friction” and it tests the effects of lubrication on the ease of hammering nails.

Both learners were excited for the opportunity to show off their inventions at the state fair. “It felt pretty neat and having my dad there with me was great,” learner Kyle Fertig said.

“I was really excited. I couldn’t believe that I was one of the first 6^th graders ever to go to states,” Seitzinger said. “Science is really interesting to me and I really like doing it.”

Teachers from regional schools, science professionals and university professors served as the judges for the event. The judging was broken into four categories – scientific method, presentation style, scientific knowledge gained and whether inquiry-based learning was present on a 40-point scale.

Everyone at the NIHF-STEM school is thrilled for Kyle and Conner, including their coach.

“I am so impressed with our students’ participation in these events and their innovation,” Learning Coach Christine Justiss-Simon said. “I was amazed we had 22 learners qualified for regionals. It was above anything I ever expected especially considering they are fifth and sixth graders competing against twelfth graders. It exceeded my expectations and I am very proud of them.”