Recently, a science fair was hosted online, and some of LR’s students participated with the support of Mr. Gilson, Mr. Myrenton, and Mr. Lemke. Nine students in total attended, and according to Sylvia Brownlow, one of the students who was involved, her project was about runoff and how it contains nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers for its high solubility and biodegradability. She wanted to figure out how she could extract the nitrate by using different resins to see which one would be more effective in filtering the nitrate. Distilled water was used to help with the process. Two types of resins were used: Type 1 Anion Resin Trimethylamine and Type 2 Anion Resin Dimethylethanolamine. Through the experiment, she found that the second resin worked more effectively. 

As for why Mr. Gilson decided to encourage participation in the science fair here to LR, these are his words: “There are a number of reasons I chose to get involved with the Science Fair here at Lake Region. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore STEM topics that are of interest to them. High school students aren’t given a lot of opportunities to learn about things they are passionate about. The Science Fair allows them to do that. I think it is also great for students to see what their peers are doing and get ideas from their projects. Lastly, you never know what opportunities may arise by participating in the Science Fair. For example, Abbie and Sylvia won $3,000 scholarships to attend a three week summer program with the New Hampshire Academy of Science this summer. That is a wonderful opportunity to work in a lab under the guidance of college professors. Their project was also selected to be entered into another Science Fair as well. You just never know what opportunities will present themselves by participating in a Science Fair. It is a great experience!” When asked what his favorite project was out of the others, he responded with, “The Fair this year was virtual, so I wasn’t able to see what other students presented.” 

Mr. Gilson says his plans for next year’s science fair are as follows: “Plans for next year are to hopefully expand the Science Fair at Lake Region by getting more students to be involved. To that end, we will be hosting a handful of meetings to generate interest in participating in the Science Fair and choosing topics so they can work on them over the summer.”