Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, July 14, 2008

Nearly 600 Fayette County public, private and home-schooled students in grades 4-12 participated in the 24th annual Kentucky American Water Science Fair, coordinated by Fayette County Public Schools. 

  The Feb. 9 event, held at Bryan Station High School, included a variety of science projects judged by nearly 100 professionals, as well as hands-on educational demonstrations and activities coordinated by Explorium of Lexington.

  One-hundred-twenty-nine students received medals for their efforts, with 110 advancing to the Central Kentucky Regional Science and Engineering Fair, set for March 1 at the University of Kentucky.

  Category, grade-level and water award winners also received a Lexmark printer and will get tickets to a Legends baseball game this spring. All the participants took home a T-shirt, ribbon and certificate.

  Judges assessed student projects according to these categories: animal sciences, behavioral and social sciences, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and planetary science, engineering, energy and transportation, environmental sciences, medicine and health sciences, microbiology, physics, and astronomy and plant sciences.

  Kentucky American Water initiated the science fair for junior high school students in 1985 as part of the company’s centennial celebration. The next year, Kentucky American Water joined with Fayette County Public Schools in coordinating the event. The fair has been expanded twice: first in 1989 to include elementary school science projects and then in 1991 to include high schools.