March 15, 2005 – On Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., the public is invited to view the scientific work of 123 Good Hope students in the Upper and Middle Schools as they compete in the only INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the Virgin Islands. As an affiliated fair, Good Hope Science Fair participants are eligible for awards from national scientific and mathematic organizations, such as the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research and the Mu Alph Theta (Math) Award, both of which have been won by Good Hope students.
The top honor of the Good Hope Science Fair Competition is to be selected to compete in the INTEL ISEF International Science Fair in Phoenix, Arizona where six Good Hope students will be selected to join 1400 finalists from 40 countries and all 50 states, an invaluable and unique learning experience underwritten by a private grant. "Participation in the ISEF has significantly raised the bar for the quality of projects at the Good Hope Science Fair. Each year, as the students come back from the International Fair and share their experiences with their peers, they inspire their peers to put greater effort and imagination into their own projects. Each year I continue to be amazed at the quality of their work," observed Jane Coles, Science Fair Coordinator at The Good Hope School.
All Science Fair projects are independent study projects that begin in September with background research, and develop through the course of the school year with students working on experiments ranging from studies in behavioral sciences to zoology. "We encourage our students to work with professionals in the area of their projects," said Mrs. Coles. "Some of the students have been working with scientists at UVI and Hovensa, or communicating with scientists in the states via e-mail, who help the students take their projects to the next level. Since they are independent study projects, they are based on questions posed by the students who then must come up with ways of discovering the answers. The wide diversity of the projects is a reflection of the diversity of our students' interests."
Dr. Wes Toller from DPNR Division of Fish and Wildlife has judged the Good Hope Science Fair in previous years, and looks forward to judging again this year. "I am always amazed at the depth of study with which these kids engage." Other judges this year include Dr. Michelle Peterson, a biologist at UVI, Liam Carr from the Virgin Island Marine Advisory Services, Dr. Charles Braslow, now a Good Hope School Trustee, and Pat Berger, DVM with the United States Department of Agriculture.
A new feature of the 2005 Science Fair will be participation by the sixth grade classes. Sixth graders in Adrienne Keefe's general science classes are working in teams of four to design experiments to test hypotheses on topics ranging from product testing to understanding the effects of practice on the ability to perform tasks.
The Good Hope Science Fair is open and free to the public.
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