Bay of Plenty's next generation of scientists are showcasing their latest discoveries this week at the annual NIWA BOP Science and Technology Fair.
More than 100 projects from Years 7 to 13 students will face the scrutiny of a range of judges on Thursday before the fair opens to the public at 1pm at the Harvest Centre, Malfroy Rd, Rotorua. Members of the public can also view the exhibits on Friday from 9am to 1pm.
COVID-19 delays last year saw the fair postponed until October but it's back on track this year with the winning exhibit receiving the NIWA Premier Award of $600.
Organiser Mark Franken says innovation is always a key component at the fair, along with enthusiasm and an impressive amount of work from the students.
"We are looking forward to talking to the students about their experiments and finding out more about what our potential future scientists are interested in," he said.
Entries this year include an eco-friendly bucket washer that not only saves time, but a lot of water, while another student decided to fin out how much influence parents had on their children's opinions.
"What I found out was surprising," he says.
Other projects include testing hand sanitisers to find the most effective, and an experiment testing different amounts of baking powder in vanilla cupcakes.
Prizegiving will be held on Friday at 1pm.
NIWA wishes all students entering the fair the very best of luck. NIWA is also a major sponsor of the Auckland, Manukau, Waikato, and Wellington Science and Technology Fairs.
For more details see www.bopscifair.org.nz
