On the way to Norwich University from The Renaissance School in Shelburne, Vermont, none of the students thought their projects were prize-winning material. The fifth and sixth graders were excited and nervous about presenting their work, asking lots of questions of each other and wondering how they would fare in the competition. On Saturday, April 17^th, all six students won awards at the Vermont State Science and Mathematics Fair.

Joshua Wolfstein with his teacher, Eve Dubois, after being awarded the gold medal at the Vermont State Science Fair.

Joshua Wolfstein, Alex Duchac, Warren Ouellette, Henry Harder, Samuel Edwards-Kuhn, and Chester Barber all received awards for their work, even surpassing some projects at the high school level. Their projects were the result of over two months of preparation, another three weeks for revision and continued testing, and some extra, after-school overtime. The children’s dedication and perseverance were important factors in the success of their projects.

Chester Barber explains the nature of his project at the Vermont State Science Fair.

Joshua Wolfstein has been a student at The Renaissance School since kindergarten and was awarded a silver medal in last year’s state science fair. At the very beginning of the school year, he was already thinking about ideas for his science fair project, which turned out to be, “Burn, Burn, Burn : Comparing Wood and Grass Pellets.” Being in a school located on Shelburne Farms gave him the idea for testing the differences between wood and grass pellets; on a tour of the furnace that heats the Farm Barn, Joshua learned that the farm often uses different kinds of fuel to see which one is the most efficient and sustainable. He received not only a Superior, Gold Medal, Award sponsored by the Vermont Principals’ Association, but also an NRG Systems Award for Best Project on Renewable Energy.

Alex Duchac displays his science project at the Vermont State Science Fair.

Alex Duchac, Henry Harder, and Warren Ouellette received silver medals for their excellent projects on DNA, airplane wing designs, and even “oobleck,” a mixture typically made from corn starch and water. Samuel Edwards-Kuhn received an award from the Green Mountain Section of the American Chemical Society. His project was about the gas, ethylene, which is given off by fruits as they ripen; his experiment involved finding the conditions under which various fruits would ripen most quickly. Chester Barber designed and tested solar concentrators to determine their value in improving the efficiency of solar panels and received awards from Entergy and the Green Mountain Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers for his innovative strategies.

Henry Harder presents his science fair project on the airplane wing.

In addition to their own hard work, the students had the support of their teacher, Eve Dubois, who obtained a grant from the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences for the purchase of equipment to support the students’ studies of matter and energy. With the support of their parents and teacher, the students explored topics of personal interest over an extended period of time using the scientific method, and many of the projects related to science topics the students have studied throughout the year.

Sam Edwards-Kuhn stands with his project at the Vermont State Science Fair.

Back at school, the children celebrated their success at a school assembly on Earth Day by sharing stories of their experiences, which will hopefully inspire future young scientists to follow in their footsteps.

Warren Ouellette with his project at the Vermont State Science Fair.

The students each received an award at the science fair. The photos are as follows:

Chester Barber.

Alex Duchac.

Henry Harder.

Sam Edwards-Kuhn.

Warren Ouellette.

Joshua Wolfstein (center).

Joshua Wolfstein waits with the other gold medalists at the Vermont State Science Fair.