Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 14
Photos by DiVision Media
Inspiring Student
Excellence in STEM
By Emily Calderwood
“Expo participants fly Kennett High School’s flight
simulator, guided by aviation student Jack Calderwood”
THE MWV YOUTH STEM EXPO RETURNS ON MARCH 19, 2025
O
n March 20, 2024, students from across the Mt. Washington Valley gathered at the Living Shores Aquarium in
Bartlett for the second annual MWV Youth STEM Expo.
The spring 2024 event drew over 100 eager participants from
4th to 12th grade, who showcased their hard work and passion
for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The 2024 MWV Youth STEM Expo provided a day-long
celebration of all things STEM. The day’s focus was the students’
projects, which were judged by a team of nearly 40 volunteer
judges. Students vied for cash prizes in three age categories—elementary, middle, and high school—along with special recognition prizes awarded by the Mount Washington Observatory. In
addition, the presenters and visitors were treated to hands-on
STEM activities provided by WMSI, 4-H, The Kennett High School
Robotics Team, and the Kennett High School Aviation Program,
along with live keynote address from Weather Observers at the
summit of Mount Washington.
Students’ projects covered a wide range of topics. Several
studied the factors affecting plant growth, and some were
interested in the physics of ski jumping angles, launching projectiles, and understanding the variables affecting soccer and
basketball performance. Some students delved into psychology
and physiology, studying the effect of sleep on cognitive performance, the effect of energy shots on heart rate, and the effect of
Two middle school projects from the spring 2024 event stood out for their focus on environmental issues.
Sixth-grader Addy Jaus, from Josiah Bartlett Elementary School, won first place with her project, and 8th-grader Emily Fields,
also from Josiah Bartlett Elementary, won third place with hers.
Addy Jaus: “Does Sand and Salt from Roads
A昀昀ect the Water Quality of the Saco?”
14
For the 2024 STEM Expo, I chose to
study the effect of road salt on the Saco
River. I decided on this topic because I
love the outdoors and want to protect
our natural resources, and the river is
important to the local community and
tourist industry. As residents of Mt.
Washington Valley, we all need to care
about the health of the river, as it is a
source of groundwater and a big part of
the natural ecosystems that exist here.
I collected samples of river water
from three locations in Bartlett at
varying distances from the road, both
before the first treatment of roads in
fall 2023 and throughout the winter. My
sample sites were at the Big Rock Bridge
on River Road, Cobb Farm Road, and at
Thorne Pond. At each location, I tested
the pH and the temperature of the water,
using pH strips and a water thermometer. Then I attempted to measure the
salinity levels of the samples. I repeated
this procedure three times to see how
the data would change as the roads
were treated, and graphed my data to
look for trends.
I used three different methods
to try to determine the water salinity
because none of the procedures I tried
were sensitive enough to provide me
with data. First, I tried a hydrometer,
which is a simple device found at pet
stores. It was easy to use, but it could
not pick up the traces of salt in the river
water, as it was designed for saltwater
MWVvibe.com
