PORT HARDY—It was all in the family last week as Clayton Harder of Sunset Elementary School in Port McNeill captured the top overall project award at the 2014 Northern Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair.
Harder’s win, for an experiment titled Veggie Power, gave the Grade 7 student a berth the Canadian National Science Fair. He follows in the footsteps of older brother Trevor, who twice qualified for nationals for science experiments while attending North Island Secondary School.
In addition to first place for Grade 7-8 experiment, Harder was also awarded the BC Science Teachers’ Award, which comes with a $100 cash prize.
In all, the regional science fair distributed 14 major prizes, worth a total of more than $1,000.
The Erica Slack Memorial Award was shared by Brooklyn Watson of Sointula’s A.J. Elliott School and Daniel Kornylo of Gold River.
Harder will be joined at the national science fair by Gold River’s Hannah Charette, who was named top overall project runner-up. Her Wave Pendulum experiment earned her top honours in the Grade 9-10 division and the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology Award, worth $100.
2014 Northern Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair Awards
Top overall project*: Clayton Harder, Sunset Elementary
Top overall project runner-up*: Hannah Charette, Gold River
Erica Slack Memorial: Brooklyn Watson, A.J. Elliott, and Daniel Kornylo, Gold River
Al Appleton Worksafe Award ($100): Julianna Nielson, Gold River
BC Agriculture in the Classroom ($100): Karin Clausin, Sunset
BC Hydro for Generations Award ($100): Abbie MacDonald, Avalon Academy
BC Nature Award ($50): Danielle Lacasse, Avalon
BC Science Teachers ($100): Clayton Harder, Sunset
Genome British Columbia ($100): William Grant, Sunset
Genome British Columbia ($100): Kachina Boyer-Oyler, Alert Bay
Heart and Stroke Foundation: Adrian Gordon-Valan, Alert Bay
Michael Crooks Physics Prize ($75): Niall Weyer, A.J. Elliott
Association of Professional Biologists ($50): Connor Van Will, Sunset
SCWIST Award ($100): Hannah Charette, Gold River
DAWEG Award ($50): Xandryn Frost, Sunset
Sylvia Gaudet Award ($100): Gwimolas Cranmer, T'Lisalagi'lakw School
*National Science Fair qualifier
Division ribbon-winners
Grade 3-4 Experiment
1. (tie) Brooklyn Watson, A.J. Elliott, and Emma Watson, Fort Rupert; 2. (tie) Lorren Glendale, A.J. Elliott, and Paige Greer, Eagle View; 3. Alex Nelson-Smith, Alert Bay.
Grade 3-4 Study
1. William Grant, Sunset; 2. Sydney McGillawee, Fort Rupert; 3. Isaac Koel, Sunset.
Grade 5-6 Experiment
1. Niall Weyer, A.J. Elliott; 2. (tie) Xandryn Frost, Sunset, and Joey Grant, Sunset; 3. Calista Stuckless and Macey Guldager, Sunset.
Grade 5-6 Study
1. (tie) Emily Jeffrey, Sunset, and Connor Van Will, Sunset; 2. (tie) Kayden Jones, Sunset, and Daniel Kornylo, Gold River; 3. Karin Clausin, Sunset.
Grade 7-8 Experiment
1. Clayton Harder, Sunset; 2. Stephanie Lacasse, Avalon; 3. Adam Leighton, Gold River
Grade 7-8 Study
1. Abbie MacDonald, Avalon; 2. Adrian Gordon-Valan, Alert Bay; 3. Leanne Wilson, Fort Rupert.
Grade 7-8 Innovation
1. Cole Aitken, Seth Hanuse, Liem Wadhams, Tony Zapp, Fort Rupert.
Grade 9-10 Experiment
1. Hannah Charette, Gold River; 2. Lucinda Grant, Gold River; 3. Clayton Onischuk, Gold River.
Grade 9-10 Study
1. Danielle Lacasse, Avalon; 2. Will Stratton, Gold River; 3. Nathan Meise, Gold River.
Grade 11-12 Study
1. Julianna Nielson, Gold River; 2. Matilda Taylor, Gold River; 3. Kaitlyn Logue, Gold River.