Students five local schools put their knowledge and creations on display at the 2025 Northeast Regional Science Fair on Thursday.
The Science Fair had 50 projects from students at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School, West Central Public School, Red Wing Public School, Christopher Lake Public School, and Shellbrook Elementary School.
The two winners are Grade 8 students Olivia Gorder and Daycee Flying Buffalo. They will now compete with winners from other regions at the National Science Fair to be held in Fredericton, New Brunswick from May 31-June 7.
This was the second year in a row Flying Buffalo took top spot.
“It means a lot,” she said. “I was very excited with doing this because last year I had a great experience and I wanted to experience that again.”
Last year, Flying Buffalo created a game to help people learn about mental health. This year she expanded on that idea to teach people about Indigenous culture and mental health called Horizon and Roots.
“I just thought providing youth with something to (teach them) about their culture and mental health would help them, so I made a game to provide them with it,” she said.
Gorder’s project focused on biodegradable hydrogels and whether they can help farmers conserve water. The project looked at what types of hydrogels work best.
“I just wanted to do something different,” Gorder said. “I wanted to see what would happen if we tried something else instead of just the original thought of putting water into the ground and hope the seeds grow fast.”
Gorder said many of her fellow students loved the project, so she wasn’t surprised to win.
“A few of my friends from school kept saying they knew I would win, and my project was really” she said. “From there on, I kind of knew.”
The organizers thanked the sponsors, volunteers and judges for all of their support in putting the event together. Certificates were presented in a number of categories for students in Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7 and Grade 8 before the overall winners were announced as follows:
Grade 5
3rd Place- Sophie Jacobi- Christopher Lake School- How Blue Light Affects Your Sleep
2nd Place- Aubrielle Booth, Claire Lauder & Emma Verbonac- Shellbrook Elementary- Plant Growth Under Different Lights
1st Place- Kayla Carnegie- Christopher Lake School- How Does Different Types of Music Affect Your Heart Rate.
Grade 6
3rd Place- Kara Watt & Nevaeh Henderson- West Central School- Candles vs. Headaches
2nd Place- Seth Killaby- Christopher Lake School- Insulation Project
1st Place- Zoey Peterson- Cats vs. Cat Toys
Grade 7
3rd Place- Ella Fendelet- Christopher Lake School- Harvesting Fog
2nd Place- Ashtyn King- West Central School- Necklace Balancer
1st Place- Jacob Schlamp- Christopher Lake School- Sustainable and Alternative Cooking Methods
Grade 8
3rd Place- Milana Lishchenko- West Central School- Microwaving Seeds
2nd Place- Olivia Gorder- Red Wing School- Hydrogels Water Conservation
1st Place- Daycee Flying Buffalo- West Central School- Horizons and Roots
High School
The 1st Place winners are Vraj Patel & Carter Lysak from Carlton Comprehensive High School and their project was titled – FRED the Robotic Hand.
–with files from Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
