30th Waikato Science & Technology Fair hits town
14 August 2009 -- Hundreds of Waikato school students will display projects covering all areas of science and technology in Hamilton next week. The 30th annual Waikato Regional Science & Technology Fair, sponsored by the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA), will be held at Hamilton Gardens Pavilion from 20–22 August.
“NIWA is proud to again sponsor this event as part of our commitment to fostering scientific knowledge among young people and the wider community,” says NIWA’s Education Coordinator, Dr Julie Hall. “Science and Technology Fairs are a great way to get kids to think about and be active in science, have fun with it, and get a sense of achievement. As well as gaining knowledge of science and the scientific process, they develop critical thinking skills and perseverance that can be taken into other areas.”
About 300 exhibits are expected from Year 7 to Year 13 students, from about 35 schools throughout the Waikato region. On 20 August, a team of 30 judges will interview all the students and select the best projects in each of the age classes.
Over $5,000 worth of prizes are being donated by a range of businesses and science organisations, including WEL Energy Trust, Hill Laboratories, Dairy NZ, the University of Waikato, Livestock Improvement, and Solid Energy NZ Ltd. The main winner will receive $400, a medallion, and be nominated for a place at Genesis Energy’s Realise the Dream. This is a week-long festival of events for young scientists, technologists, and others, to be held in December in Wellington.
“NIWA hopes that many of the students exhibiting at this year’s Fair will take up careers in science, which are vital to sustaining New Zealand’s economy and environment,” says Dr Hall.
NIWA is also a major sponsor of the Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Wellington Science & Technology Fairs, as well as the NIWA Discovery Room, an interactive marine discovery centre at Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World in Auckland.
Public viewing (free):
Hamilton Gardens Pavilion, Cobham Drive, Hamilton East
9am–10pm, Friday 21 August
9am–2pm, Saturday 22 August
Prizegiving:
7pm, Friday 21 August, PricewaterhouseCoopers Lecture Theatre (Management Building), University of Waikato, Hillcrest Road, Hamilton.
Media please note: To obtain advance notice of winners on the morning of Friday 21 August for the purpose of arranging interviews and photographs, please contact Rosalie McGowan.
For further information, please contact:
Rosalie McGowan
Chair, Waikato Regional Science & Technology Fair Committee
Mob: 027 274 1236
Tracey Edwards
NIWA Science & Technology Fair Coordinator
Mob: 027 200 9953