The winners of the 68th annual Ventura County Science Fair were announced at an awards ceremony this evening at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo. Awards were presented in 13 scientific categories including microbiology, engineering and chemistry. The winning entries were chosen by 120 local science, engineering and education professionals who volunteered their time to serve as judges.
The Science Fair was held in person on March 24 for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It featured more than 500 entries from 25 different middle and high schools throughout Ventura County. Students prepared displays explaining their experiments, then gave oral presentations to judges who evaluated their work. This year’s Science Fair also featured a VEX Robotics exhibition, where students could operate robots designed to throw discs into a hoop.
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 11. And for the first time this year, Ventura County Science Fair participants have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair, which will take place in Dallas in May.
About the Ventura County Science Fair
With categories from animal sciences to physics, the Ventura County Science Fair is designed to promote and reward the achievements of our students in various scientific fields. By developing skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, students are laying the groundwork for their 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.
This year’s Ventura County Science Fair logo was created by Sam Moreno, a student at Santa Paula High School. More information about the Ventura County Science Fair is available on the VCOE website at www.vcoe.org/ScienceFair.