Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair Award Winners Honored

From the Alameda County Learning Center: The Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair (ACSEF) was held on March 10-12, 2017 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) Learners participated in the competition after qualifying by winning first place at the ACLC Science Fair held in December. The youth spent the weekend talking to scientists and engineers about the science experiments they developed as part of their ACLC science classes. Learners returned from the experience with much enthusiasm and new insights for science.

11th grader Mai Corkins won 2nd place for her project titled: Secret Superpowers: Garlic Reveals Another Hidden Talent. When asked about why one should participate in the ACSEF, she said the interaction with scientists, “opened up my mind to the possibility of being a scientist.”

Aidan Gleason won 2nd place for his Oil Spill Containment Apparatus. Going to ACSEF was fun for him because he likes to share, and the fair is a big deal. He said that so often you do a project and then it’s over. Keynote speaker, Sarah Richardson (Founder, Chief Scientific Officer, Ignition Genomics) impressed Aidan with her talk on how she uses DNA to train bacteria to do tricks.

7th graders Deniz Akin and Morna Mandic won 2nd place for their project on Eco-Fertilizers. Deniz enjoyed the fair because, “you get to look at everyone else’s projects and you learn a lot from them.”

This is Erika Badalyan’s 4th time going to ACSEF. She was awarded Honorable Mention for her project: Are All Chi Created Equal? Erika finds the experience motivation for creating high quality work. She says the fair, “ignites a fire,” that helps young people figure out what they want to do with their future.

George Hofstetter and Luana Cardenas won Honorable Mention for their project they coded themselves called: Are You Safe? George said that theexperience was, “eye opening and perspective changing.” When asked how the experience was for her Luana said, “Reading about science doesn’t compare to seeing people your own age leaving their mark in science with you walking along with them.”

Justin Kelly-Cahill asked the question: Do virtual reality goggles manipulate your feelings and make you feel unsafe? Justin said that going to the ACSEF allows, “you to go into a lot more depth on your project.” Justin also said it was fun and that he would definitely would do it again.

The following ACLC learners also participated:

• Nuriel Cahigas won Honorable Mention for his project titled: Hot Vs. Cold: How to Live Longer
• Katherine Kovach entered her project on Body Temperature and Blood Sugar
• Matthew Dang studied: Homemade Vs. Industrial: Comparing the Carbon Emission of Biodiesels
• Katherine Jensen was awarded Honorable Mention for her project on Hydration Station: The Most Absorbent Ratio of Soil to Orange and Avocado Peel Soil Additive
• Gabrielle Bena Quista and Parker Rose entered their project, Icky Ingredients
• William Noboe won Honorable Mention for his project on Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Power
• Kathy Su’s did a project on: Does Font Type Affect the Speed of Reading?
• Katie Angstadt-Leto entered her project on The Effect of Colors on Heart Rate
• Susanna Tsay entered her project titled: Overtones in an Acoustic Piano

Photos courtesy of the Alameda County Learning Center: (Photo 1) George Hofstetter, Luana Cardenas, Patricia Williamson; (Photo 2) Erika Badalyan, Patricia Williamson; (Photo 3) Mai Corkins, Patricia Williamson; (Photo 4) William Noboe, Kathy Su, Marina Large, Katherine Kovach, Mai Corkins, Erika Badalyan, Matthew Dang, Luana Cardenas, George Hofstetter, Justin Kelly-Cahill, Patricia Williamson;(Photo 5) Katherine Jensen, Marina Large