ACLC Students Place Well at Alameda County Science Fair

By Bara Waters

Thirty-seven young scientists from the Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC), a small public charter school serving grades 6-12, entered projects in the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair (ACSEF www.acsef.org) held March 8-9, at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA. Out of the 37 projects entered by ACLC in the Science Fair, 22 gained at least 4th Place recognition, with six receiving seven different “Special Awards,” three winning 1st Place, and one being honored as a Grand Prize Runner-up.

“Science has always been one of ACLC’s strong suits,” said David Hoopes, ACLC’s Lead Facilitator. “One of our original founders and current Executive Director, Paul Bentz, was a chemistry teacher and has continued to foster a passion for the sciences in our program.”

Ninth-grader Sophia Moore’s project, “What is the Effect of Ammonium Acetate on Specific Phytoplankton in the Oakland Estuary?” earned a Grand Prize Runner-up award as well as a 1st Place and “Best in Category” in the high school Biological Sciences.  As one of only two Grand Prize Runners-up, Moore will receive a fully funded trip to the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles, California’s most elite science competition for middle and high school student projects.  

Ninth-grader Joshua Morgan’s project, “Gone with the Wind” earned a 1st Place in the high school Engineering category and a special award from the American Meteorological Society.  Seventh-grader Mary Jane Howland’s project, “Dancing Dynamics” won a 1st Place in the middle school Physics category.

In the high school division, Camilla Guiza-Chavez received a 1st Place special award from the Dublin-San Ramon Water District for “Can Duckweed Absorb Ammonium Nitrate?”  Michelle Cosette also received a special award from the Water District and another from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for “Implications of Temperature Variance on Oil-Spill Clean-ups.”  And Angela Kim received a special award from the Dept. of Health and Human Services for her project, “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.”

In the middle school division, Molly Howland earned an NCB-AALAS Animal Science award for “Planaria: Uncovering the Mystery of Regeneration,” and Luca van der Meer won an American Vacuum Society Award for “Siphon Speed-Up or Slow-down.”

An accredited school of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, ACLC is a tuition-free public charter school that educates 320 learners in grades 6-12 in Alameda, CA.  It ranks as one of Alameda's top middle and high schools, and has been named one of America’s Best High Schools for the past four years by US News & World Report

ACLC Special Award and Ribbon Winners in the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair

High School Division

• Sophia Moore:  Runner-up Grand Prize, 1st Place Biological Sciences, Best in Category (seated, in peach tank top)
• Joshua Morgan: 1st Place - Engineering, Special Award American Meteorological Society
• Camilla Guiza-Chavez:  1st Place Special Award - Dublin/San Ramon Water District, 4th Place - Botany
• Michelle Cossette:  Special Award - Dublin/San Ramon Water District, NOAA Award
• Angela Kim:  Special Award, Dept of Health
• Cailean Demmon:  2nd Place – Animal Science
• Patrick Melendez:  2nd Place - Environmental Science
• Eli Solomon:  2nd Place - Physical Science
• Jessica Wu: 3rd Place – Biological Sciences
• Aidan Chin:  4th Place – Biological Sciences
• Zachary Engberg:  4th Place – Animal Science
• Catherine Norboe:  4th Place – Physical Science
• Adam Orla-Bukowski: 4th Place - Physical Science

Middle School Division

• Molly Howland - Special Award NCB-AALAS Animal Science, 3rd Place – Animal Science
• Luca van der Meer - American Vacuum Society Award
• Mary Jane Howland - 1st Place - Physics
• Michael MacLeod - 2nd Place - Engineering
• Kimberley Carter - 3rd Place - Physics
• Rudi Skowronski - 3rd Place – Alternative Energy
• Francisco Bautista:  4th Place – Biological Science
• Bethany Kharrazi:  4th