(Photos courtesy of Cascades Academy)
Microbiology and physiology were the areas of focus of some of the projects that middle school students from Cascades Academy presented at the Northwest Science Expo in Portland last Friday. Eighteen students were awarded the opportunity to advance from their school competition to the Northwest Science Expo, and they proudly took their science fair projects to Portland to compete with over 500 middle school students from all over Oregon and southwest Washington. One Cascades Academy student was awarded 3rd place in microbiology for his project testing for the best cleaning solutions. Another student received an honorable mention in Microbiology for her comparison of hand sanitizer to soap and water hand washing. Honorable mention was also given to a pair of Cascades Academy students in the area of physiology based on their study of how taste relates to other senses. A study of gender stereotypes brought some 6th grade students special recognition for an outstanding sixth grade project. In total, Cascades Academy students walked away with one award, two honorable mentions, and one special recognition.
The day after the science fair, some of the Cascades Academy students attended the second annual March for Science in downtown Portland. They were able to experience a wide range of science activities and displays prior to the march, including one that let them hold a real human brain in their hands!
“STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is a huge area of focus at Cascades Academy,” stated Julie Amberg, Head of School. “With two science labs and our IDEA (Innovation, Design, Engineering and Art) Lab, students at Cascades Academy are encouraged to research and explore a wide variety of scientific studies, and we are so proud of our outstanding middle school scientists! These students are our future, and seeing how passionate they are about science is really exciting.”
When asked what the overall takeaway was from their Northwest Science Expo experience, the students stated that, “science rocks!”
About Cascades Academy
Cascades Academy is a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade independent private school located in Bend, Oregon that focuses on challenging academics through experiential learning.
For questions or press inquiries, please contact Barb Cartmell, Director of Admission at 541.382.0699, extension 132.
