Students with science fair projects and people at the fair viewing projects

Students from across Prince William County gathered to showcase their scientific prowess at the annual Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair held at the Kelly Leadership Center on March 22. The event featured middle and high school students presenting their innovative projects to a panel of judges. The middle school division hosted 154 projects, 187 students, and 25 teams, while the senior division hosted 70 projects, 125 students, and 38 teams.

Among the standout projects were the following five grand prize projects.

  • Animal Sciences: “The Effect of Microplastics on the Fertility of Caenorhabditis elegans” by Aysha Jafar and Adriana Ponciano, both freshmen who attend Osbourn Park High School.
  • Engineering: “Parametric Optimization of Propeller Guards for Enhanced Hydrodynamic Performance and Acoustic Profile of Underwater Vehicles” by Hannah Jansen, a senior at Patriot High School and The Governor's School @ Innovation Park.
  • Medicine and Health: “Succulent Surgery: Evaluating the Efficacy of a New Knotless Suture on Aloe vera” by Lana Wahden, a freshman at Unity Reed High School.
  • Physics: “The Effect of Nose Cone Geometry on Rocket Aerodynamics” by Devika Thampi, a sophomore at Patriot High School.
  • Plant Sciences: “The Allelopathic Effects of Natural Plant Extracts on Seed Germination of Invasive Species Lolium perenne” by Aerin Kim, a senior at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School and The Governor's School @ Innovation Park; and Kayla Minter and Willow Weeks, both seniors who attend Osbourn Park High School and The Governor's School @ Innovation Park.

Among many of the hopefuls was Gray, a student from Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School, who entered her passion project “Effects of Organic Acids on Meat Preservation and Prevention of Microbial Growth” into the senior division. “I completed it over a span of about three months, and just putting in that much time makes me really eager to present it and essentially make sure that research wasn’t just for myself,” she shared.

Jada, another student participant from Graham Park Middle School, shared, “It's a fun experience, all the projects are really creative and beautiful.” Her project explored the effects of different cleaning methods on soda can lids. “I like how everybody put their mind into what they were doing.”

The Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair continues to be a cornerstone event year after year, fostering a love for science and innovation among the youth in the community.

The science fair, sponsored by Prince William County Public Schools, I-66 Express, Mobility Partners, Leidos, and SPARK, the education foundation for PWCS, provided a platform for young scientists to demonstrate their knowledge and creativity. Projects ranged from microbiology to advanced robotics, highlighting the diverse interests and skills of the participants.

Grand prize winners will advance to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio in May. First and second place winners will advance to the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair in April.

A full list of winners is posted on the Prince William-Manassas Regional Science and Engineering Fair webpage. The list of organization winners will be continuously updated as the organizations notify us of which projects they have selected.