Northbrook Junior High Earns Gold At Science Competition

NORTHBROOK, IL — Last weekend, science students from Northbrook Junior High School found gold in Wheeling. The school's Independent Science Research team took first place at the Region 6 Division C Illinois Junior Academy of Science regional competition.

According to Northbrook District 28, NBJH received the most gold awards of any school at the fair for the second year in a row, earning them the Division C trophy. A total of 38 students participated, and 31 earned gold awards, on Saturday, March 8, at Wheeling High School.

The district said due to a high number of participants from our region, 22 students will be moving on to the state science fair, which will be held between May 1-3, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To qualify for regionals, the students received gold awards at the school-based competition. Each student made a presentation to a panel of three judges on a science research project they designed and completed in a semester-long independent science research class. According to the district, the judges evaluate the oral presentation, the written work and the scientific method of the experiments based on the Illinois Jr. Academy of Science rubric.

In addition to qualifying for state, the follow students earned special recognition:

• Reese Mueller (Best in Category - Behavioral)
• Katie Yoon (Best in Category - Environmental Science, Illinois Water Environment Association Award, Qral Ventures Life Sciences Award)
• Sophie Kleckner (Iota Sigma Pi: The National Honor Society for Women in Chemistry - Honorable Mention)
• Madeline Feeney (Ivan Pavlov Behavioral Science Award)
• Cameron Pecora (Best in Category - Chemistry)

Teachers Lauren Johnson, Amber Paull, and Fred Yoon head the team. According to the district, the trio spends the semester coaching students as they design and conduct their research and sponsor them at the local, regional and state science fairs.