More than 400 students participate in 66th Annual Hudson County STEM Showcase at LSC
What if the Statue of Liberty was made of tin? How greasy are your potato chips? Can some stimulants, like caffeine, turn you into a superhuman?
These were just a few of the topics on display at the 66th Annual Hudson County STEM Showcase! More than 400 students from Hudson County participated in the event – hosted at Liberty Science Center – on Monday, March 11, in partnership with the Jersey City Medical Center.
Throughout the day, students from grades 5-12 showcased their projects, presented to judges, and enjoyed LSC experiences including planetarium and laser shows.
The event began with opening remarks from Paul Hoffman, LSC President and CEO, as well as Michael Prilutsky, President and CEO of Jersey City Medical Center and Executive Vice President of RWJBarnabasHealth.
“Science is not reading or a book or watching a Discovery Channel show,” Hoffman said to a room full of students about the importance of hands-on work. “Science is actually getting your hands dirty and rolling up your sleeves…we need people like you to go into the sciences.”
Prilutsky congratulated the students for their dedication to STEM, telling them “all of you will have a chance to save the universe. All of you are winners just for being here.”
From there, the students presented their projects to a range of judges, from categories that included software, robotics, animal behavior, biochemistry, and environmental engineering.
Trinity Policarpio, a 10th grader at Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City, presented her project “Unraveling the Dynamics of Free Throws to Boost Basketball Accuracy.” The goal – to identify the best way to increase free-throw percentage – was inspired by being on her school’s basketball team.
“Basically, the height of a player really helps determine what angles they should be shooting,” said Policarpio, who used an app called HomeCourt to capture elements of a person’s shots, collecting data such as release angle, leg angle, release time, and vertical.
“If you’re somewhat shorter like me, you should be bending your legs more when you’re shooting foul shots,” she said, adding that this strategy increased her foul shot percentage by 80 percent.
Nia Charles, a 6th grader at Emerson Middle School in Union City, presented her project “Clean Sea to Sea,” in which she displayed a homemade filter in order to remove microplastics from ocean water.
“I love seafood, and I love swimming – but there’s so much plastic in the water, and that’s not okay,” said Charles. “I decided to make a whole project about this, because everyone I know likes seafood and I don’t want them to get hurt or die, because you could die from a lot of plastic.”
“I want to help clean the water in New Jersey, step by step, and I want to take my project even further and register as a business in New Jersey.”
Charles Lyons, a 6th grader at Saint Francis Academy in Union City, presented the project “What if Lady Liberty Was Tin?” to investigate what would happen to the Statue of Liberty if it was made of materials other than copper.
“I used zirconium, zinc, tin, and iron to test,” said Lyons. “I left them in saltwater baths…and tin lost the least amount of weight, meaning it was the most corrosion resistant."
“So if Lady Liberty was tin, it would probably be in a little better shape. It wouldn’t be as crumbling and it wouldn’t be green – it would be a dullish metal color, because that’s the color tin is when it’s rusted.”
Jeanette Calderon, an 8th grader at Union Hill Middle School in Union City, presented her project “Can An Organic Pesticide Protect Our Honey Bees From Varroa Mites?” For her research, Calderon investigated the effectiveness of various essential oils as a potential natural alternative to control the parasitic varroa mites.
“Studies suggest lavender extract can effectively control varroa mites without harming bees,” said Calderon. “I believe that there is enough evidence to support my hypothesis, and that an organic pesticide could potentially be more effective and safer for controlling mite infestation and improve overall bee health.”
Calderon said she’s always had a passion for science, and was excited at the opportunity to participate in the STEM Showcase.
“Without science, where would we really be in the world?” says Calderon. “And the environment is such an important topic to speak about…I want to continue to help keep the ecosystem clean, and be a speaker for the plants and the bees and the animals.”
So what’s next for the participating students? All medals and awards will be announced and presented at a ceremony on Monday, March 25, with four lucky high school students receiving an all-expense-paid trip to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles.
But of course, this event is about much bigger things than awards and prizes.
“The STEM Showcase provides a platform and pipeline for Hudson County’s future scientists and engineers to share their discoveries and innovations with experienced STEM professionals who engage them with thoughtful questions and feedback,” said Ivory Williams, Fair Coordinator and Vice President of STEM Education at LSC.
“For Liberty Science Center, Jersey City Medical Center, and the Hudson County community, this showcase is an important investment essential for identifying, motivating, and inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals," said Adrienne Austin, Fair Director and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Jersey City Medical Center.
Congratulations to all the bright and talented students who participated in this year’s STEM Showcase!
