The winners of the 69th annual Ventura County Science Fair were announced at an awards ceremony this evening at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) in Camarillo. Awards were presented in a variety of scientific categories including microbiology, engineering, and chemistry. The winning entries were chosen by 130 local science, engineering, and education professionals who volunteered their time to serve as judges. The Science Fair was held on March 22 at the VCOE conference center in Camarillo. Participation was at its highest level in recent memory with approximately 700 students from middle and high schools throughout Ventura County submitting entries. Students prepared displays explaining their experiments and then gave oral presentations to judges who evaluated their work.
California Science and Engineering Fair
The 35 highest-scoring entrants in the Ventura County Science Fair will advance to the California Science & Engineering Fair, which will be held virtually on April 16. A list of the students who are eligible to compete in the state competition is available here.
International Science and Engineering Fair
For the second consecutive year, one Ventura County Science Fair participant has earned the honor of competing in the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which will take place in Los Angeles in May. This year’s ISEF participant from Ventura County will be Benjamin Chung from Thousand Oaks High School in the Conejo Valley Unified School District. The title of his science fair project is The synergistic effect of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) and zinc picolinate on traumatic brain injury in Galleria mellonella.
More About the Ventura County Science Fair
Presented annually by the Ventura County Office of Education, the Ventura County Science Fair is designed to promote and reward the achievements of our students in various scientific fields. With categories from animal sciences to physics the event develops skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, to help students lay the groundwork for future success.
The Science Fair brings together students, teachers, and scientists from around Ventura County to give students an awareness of the importance of science in their lives and to cultivate their interest in science careers. The Science Fair enhances students’ scientific knowledge and research skills, reinforces science content standards for California public schools, and recognizes outstanding student achievement. It also motivates students to undertake and complete scientific inquiries in their special areas of interest.
VCOE would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the 2024 Ventura County Science Fair:
- Air & Waste Management Association (Channel Islands)
- Amgen Foundation
- California Association of Professional Scientists
- California State University Channel Islands
- CalNRG
- Central Courier, LLC
- Harris & Associates
- Island Packers, Inc.
- Kinamed, Inc.
- Leavens Ranches
- MWS Wire Industries
- SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Steve J. Noll
- STS Education
- Vinci & Associates
- Western Gage Corporation
- YTC America, Inc.
This year’s Ventura County Science Fair logo was created by Angie Mota, an 11th grader at Fillmore High School. More information about the Ventura County Science Fair is available on the VCOE website at www.vcoe.org/ScienceFair.