Some of Today's Brightest Students
Jackson EMC is a major sponsor of the Gwinnett County and Northeast Georgia Regional Science & Engineering Fairs (RSEF). Being an engineering-driven organization, the cooperative sponsors these fairs to reach thousands of students in our service territory who are interested in careers in engineering, information technology and electricity.
The RSEF provides middle and high school students an opportunity to learn how to isolate and solve problems within the framework of organized, logical thought in the biological and physical sciences. The RSEF also gives students the opportunity to exhibit research projects.
Students get project ideas from interests, hobbies or problems they feel need solving. At the fairs, their work is judged by educators, engineers and scientists who look for an attractive and functional presentation. Judges also consider the basic understanding the students have of their research and how their project might be used for the betterment of society.
This pre-college program allows students to succeed and to flourish in an increasingly complex and highly technical world by becoming problem solvers, critical thinkers, inquirers, reflective learners, and more productive and influential members of their communities.
Top presentations from all regional fairs advance to the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair, competing for money, awards and prizes during the annual regional and state fairs.
Jackson EMC sponsored students and their projects at the regional levels which provide opportunities to reach Georgia and International Science & Engineering Fair affiliations, the premier global science competitions for students in grades 9-12.
2012 Gwinnett County Regional Science & Engineering Fair
Gwinnett County Public School’s (GCPS) event continued to grow by adding elementary level science-researched projects to compete alongside the middle and high school students.
With more than 600 GCPS projects in this year’s regional fair, over 100 of those were completed by elementary students. This year’s projects featured the work of 899 students from 44 GCPS schools, 2 private schools and local home-school students.
One hundred Gwinnett student’s projects, from 17 different Gwinnett middle and high schools, will advance and compete against the best young scientists and engineers in the state at the Georgia Science & Engineering Fair (GSEF) in Athens, Ga.
The top three projects at the Gwinnett Regional fair were awarded the Grand Prize and will advance to state and ISEF. These projects were completed by Vivek Patel, Collins Hill High School; Christina To, Grayson High School; and Aprotim Bhowmik, Parkview High School.
Additionally, Gwinnett students were awarded with 21 Special Awards highlighting their excellence in specific areas of research. Among those, Katherine Li, Peachtree Ridge High School, was awarded the Merial ISEF Trip Observer Award and will be joining the Gwinnett RSEF grand prize winners at ISEF in Pittsburg, as an observer.
2012 Northeast Georgia Regional Science & Engineering Fair
Nearly 200 middle and high school students from Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Hall, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties participated in the annual Northeast Georgia Regional Science & Engineering Fair, (NEGA RSEF) at Athens Technical College.
Winning students from science fairs at public schools, private schools, homeschools and Georgia Virtual Academy who reside in the Northeast Georgia Region are eligible to compete in the regional fair.
“Registration numbers almost doubled this year, indicating an increased interest in the sciences in the region,” says Fair Director Amy Abrahamsen of Athens Technical College. She adds, “Pursuing a higher education in science pays off in higher salaries and more opportunities in the growing sector of technical skills based jobs.”
Alanna Dorsey, West Jackson Middle School student, won the Independent Scientist Award with a project titled “Which Chicken Feed is Better?” This award is given to a student who has done exceptional creative research while using resources they’ve located completely on their own, not working through an outside agency such as a research company or educational institution.
The Northeast Georgia Regional senior division grand prize award winning project will advance to state and ISEF. The project, The Effect of Schreckstoff on Minnows, was completed by Charley Denmark and Katheryn Bennett, Winder Barrow High School. The junior division award winner was Eliana Powell, Hilsman Middle School, Clarke County.
By supporting the Northeast Georgia and Gwinnett County Regional Science & Engineering Fairs, Jackson EMC actively promotes the development of stronger scientific, technological and engineering education.
For more information contact Amy Abrahamsen, NEGA RSEF Director, at aabrahamsen@athenstech.edu or Jonathon Wetherington, Gwinnett County RSEF, at jonathon_wetherington@gwinnett.k12.ga.us. For GSEF and ISEF information and results, visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/gsef.
Congratulations to all the students representing northeast Georgia!