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Story provided Morgan Whitehouse, Valleyview Secondary Science Teacher 

In the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, the Intellectual Development priority aims to provide opportunities for students to develop the ability to analyze critically while learning reason and to think independently. Participation in Science Fairs is one way that students can develop these skills while learning to discover, experiment, and innovate.

The Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF) is an annual event hosted by Youth Science Canada that celebrates the top 400 students across Canada with exceptional projects in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and innovation. For 62 years, CWSF has brought students from all across the country together to discover, innovate, and inspire each other.

“The Canada Wide Science Fair is an event like no other, and I feel truly honoured to connect curious and hard working students to the opportunity.” shared Valleyview Secondary Science Teacher Morgan Whitehouse. “At CWSF students gain a first hand appreciation and understanding that science is a way of thinking, not just a body of knowledge to be learned.  Students see the impact of their inquisitive mindset benefitting health and happiness for individuals and communities alike. They value that knowledge is always changing and ideas are formed around evidence not opinion. I whole-heartedly encourage science teachers to facilitate science fair projects at the classroom level, and embrace flexibility in supporting students to think scientifically about what they are already passionate about. With time and feedback from an enthusiastic teacher, our students are capable of such impactful inquiries and innovations.”

Each year, the Cariboo Mainline Regional Science Fair has the opportunity to send top students in Grades 7–12 to CWSF to showcase their projects with students from every province and territory across the country. This year, three students from the Kamloops-Thomspon were selected to attend: Gunnar Koehn (Grade 8 at Valleyview Secondary), Gavin Ewen (Grade 11 at Valleyview Secondary), and Ansh Vashisht (Grade 11 at St. Ann’s Academy).

Throughout the week, students spent time connecting with researchers, doctors, engineers, and leading industry specialists, participated in several lab experiences which aligned to their interests, passions, and career aspirations, and had the opportunity to network and make new friends. In the CWSF Project Zone, finalists showcased their work to over 9,000 visitors, including school groups. Cariboo-Mainline students received a special visit from local Member of Parliament, Frank Caputo, who took time to congratulate the finalists and learn about their projects.

Valleyview Secondary’s Gunnar Koehn took home a Bronze Excellence Award in the Junior category for his project, Exploring Thermal Paste Alternatives. When asked about his experience, Gunner shared: “I believe that CWSF is a simply unparalleled experience, and it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had. You get to have tons of incredibly unique experiences, like living in a university dorm room, eating awesome and diverse food, exploring a new city (which changes every year!) and famous landmarks, and participating in a variety of events like museum visits, tours, pin trading, and presentations. My tips for beginners trying to get into a science fair would be: make sure you’re actually interested in your experiment, pick an original idea within a field you have knowledge in, make sure you reach out for help if you need it, and don’t feel like you have to be changing the world with your first experiment! CWSF has really made me realize how much potential I have, how fun science can be, and inspired me to continue with science fairs in the future.”

With two Valleyview Secondary students attending CWSF this year, and one bringing home an award, Principal Cory Carmichael shared his pride and gratitude for the work of the students, parents, and teacher who made this possible: “I am exceptionally proud of our Valleyview students who earned their way to compete at the Canada Wide Science Fair. Not only did they get to experience a National competition while representing Valleyview Secondary and the Kamloops-Thompson School District, one of our students placed. I am grateful for the support and passion of their teacher, Miss Morgan Whitehouse, our Parent Advisory Committee who provided some financial assistance, and for the parents who encouraged their children to explore and engage with their curiosity. I believe that opportunities like this contribute to lifelong interests in the sciences, post-secondary and beyond.”