The EAC Discovery Park Campus hosted the 2018 Eastern Arizona Regional Science Fair Competition with projects and displays from 46 students from seven Eastern Arizona Schools; Duncan High School, Thatcher High School, Safford Middle School, Pima Jr. High School, Dorothy Stinson Elementary, Discovery Plus Academy, and Thatcher Elementary School. The Science Fair competition provides an opportunity for some of the sharpest student minds in Eastern Arizona to come together and display the results of using the scientific method and creating an experiment to answer a proposed question. The Competition is a yearly event sponsored by the Eastern Arizona Science Initiative (EASI) through grants from Freeport-McMoRan and the Graham County United Way to support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) education in Eastern Arizona.
The competition was divided by grade levels: 5th & 6th Grade, 7th & 8th Grade, and High School Grades, with three categories in each level; Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. The judges for this year’s competition were Freeport-McMoRan employees and members of the professional community. The 1st and 2nd Place winners in each category and grade level received a trophy and a Rosette place ribbon, the 3rd Place and Honorable Mention recipients received a rosette place ribbon, and all participants received participation ribbons.
As an added incentive, the 1st place overall winners in each grade level deemed by the judges to be the most original, useful, and well created projects, received an RCA “Voyager” tablet with keyboard. The Best Overall 5th and 6th Grade display went to Xavier Owens from Dorothy Stinson School with “Battery Life” that explores the affect that temperature has on battery life. The Best Overall 7th and 8th Grade display went to Seth Russell from Pima Jr. High School with “Nutty Energy” investigating the potential energy stored in different kinds of nuts. And the Best Overall High School display went to Payton Damron and Delanie Claridge from Duncan High School with “Clean as a Daisy” to determine which type of cleaner will best kill common bacteria. Additionally, each 1st place winner in each category will be awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the annual EASI Summer Science Camp applicable to their grade level; EASI Summer Science Camp for grades 6th – 9th, the Tonto Creek STEM Camp in Payson for grades 7th – 10th or the Anatomy & Physiology Camp for grades 9th -12th. The displays were open for public viewing Friday and Saturday March 9th and 10th in the Discovery Park Campus – Ranch House, and an awards ceremony for trophy and award presentations was held on Saturday evening at 5:00PM with a full house of winners’ families and friends.
The Eastern Arizona Science Initiative, or “EASI”, is composed of teachers, professionals, and community members throughout Graham and Greenlee counties, cooperating to improve science education in Eastern Arizona and to provide extracurricular opportunities for students who demonstrate an interest or higher aptitude for science, and to provide opportunities for teachers to improve their content knowledge in science. Special thanks to Freeport McMoRan, the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME), the participating students and their parents, and especially the great teachers who took this opportunity to demonstrate the importance of applying the principles of science to real-life problems and questions.
High School:
1st | Payton Damron / Delanie Claridge (H. S. Overall Winner) |
DHS | Clean as a Daisy |
2nd | Lorenzo Harris / Nate Rapier / Michael McGrath | DHS | Stealthy Structures |
3rd | Gerardo Cerna / Karla Flores / Kade Stacy | DHS | Selective Hearing |
HM | Chase Carnes / Lillie Smith | DHS | Testing Blocking Materials |
HM | Michael Lennon / Jay Garner | DHS | Race Car Darts |
Middle School:
1st E | Amora Baldwin | SMS | Decomposing Trash |
2nd E | Christopher Curtis | SMS | Erosion |
1st L | Seth Russel (M. S. Overall Winner) | PJH | Nutty Energy |
2nd L | Sophia Romero | SMS | Breathtaking |
3rd L | Brenden Gunnett | SMS | School Germs Vs. Home Germs |
HM L | Brielle Ray | PJH | Deeper Sleeper |
1st P | Shade Hargis | SMS | Light it Uup |
2nd P | Emma Workman | SMS | Cost Comparison CFL/LED |
3rd P | Rene Holcomb | SMS | Did You Want A Soft Serve? |
HM P | Samantha Pippo | PJH | Bring the Heat |
5th & 6th Grade:
1st E | Elisa Verdugo | DPA | Kitchen Grown Leather |
2nd E | Mackenzie Millar | TES | Egg-O-Rama |
3rd E | Ethan Homer | TES | Purify Power |
1st L | Jason Vallejos | DSS | Don’t Throw Your Veggies Away! |
2nd L | Bradoc Waite | DSS | Uh Oh, I Wet My Plants! |
3rd L | Sadie Richardson | DPA | Cool Beans! |
HM L | Ethan Leavitt | DSS | Fastest Fuel |
HM L | Temberlie Sanders | TES | Changing Colors of Flowers |
1st P | Xavier Owens (5th & 6th Overall Winner) | DSS | Battery Life |
2nd P | Maigan Ferrin | DPA | Flammability of Fabrics |
2nd P | Joseph Bull | TES | I Can’t Hear My Mom! |
3rd P | Dean Batty | DPA | How to Highlight Liquid |
HM P | Michelle Walter | TES | Engludo |