Published in the Sept. 2-15, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By John Horner
John Horner
Chances are you are tired of being lectured about the importance of science and the insufficient number of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and careers. So, that lecture is over. What I would like to talk with you about is the fun, joy and pleasure of scientific investigation and how the annual All Morgan Hill Science Fair feeds into the enjoyment of science.
For me, science has helped answer the burning how? And why? Questions which have haunted me since my earliest childhood. Why do people do the things they do (behavioral science)? Why do things move the way they do (physics)? How do plants and animals grow and thrive or shrivel and die (biology)? How can we do things in a better way (engineering)? How do things turn into other things (chemistry)? To the intellectually curious, which certainly includes every 5 year old, these are burning questions begging to be explored.
Science is the body of work which informs and enables our exploration into these fundamental questions. Sure, answering those questions has given us everything from smart phones to GMO crops, but it isn’t just about the practical application of our expanding body of knowledge, but is also about the pure pleasure of investigation and discovery. The purpose of the Science Fair is to fan the flames of curiosity through the structured application of the scientific method.
The annual Science Fair is organized by a passionate group of volunteers operating as a project of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce. The group’s mission is to provide a competitive impetus for local middle and high school students to pursue answers to these kinds of questions through application of the scientific method. Historically we have had large numbers of participants from Britton and Martin Murphy middle schools and many middle and high school students from Oakwood School. However, low participation by local public high school students is an ongoing concern, even though many of those same students were involved when they were in middle school. We are interested in doing everything we can to turn that around by engaging our local high school students. Perhaps you can help us with this effort. If you are a student, parent, teacher or potential volunteer with the local high schools we would very much enjoy working with you to bring more of these students in on the fun. If this interests you, please contact me directly using [email protected] so that we can get you connected to the process.
This school year’s All Morgan Hill Science Fair will be held Jan. 14, 2016 and the application deadline is Jan. 8, 2016. Those dates may seem a long way off, but the time will pass quickly.
