More than a Science Fair

In November, I was part of a group of students who had the privilege of attending the Japan Super Science Fair. Over the course of the 10-days trip, I had the chance to learn from other people's projects from across the world while sharing the uniqueness of Canada's West Coast on a global scale. My group's environmental science project focused on analyzing how the School’s hatchery affects wild fish on a large scale. Other projects from our School were concentrated on the areas of chemistry and biology. 

 

Once we arrived, we were instantly welcomed by our exchange buddies from Ritsumeikan High School. The first day was filled with a beautiful opening ceremony and various ice-breaking activities. We got to meet people from all over the world and listen to their oral presentations. 

 

The highlights from the second day were the cultural exchange booths. We brought with us some Shawnigan merch and Canadian goodies, and we were able to go around to every booth and learn and have little treats from different countries. My personal favourite part was trying all the candies from the UK and trying to match them with their unique names. 

 

The third day was definitely one of my favourites, when we experienced traditional Japanese culture by wearing yukata and learning calligraphy. I loved the opportunity to learn and develop a greater understanding of the Japanese culture. That day we also had the poster presentations. This was an amazing experience – we got to sit and listen to students explain their research and ask specific questions. This opened my eyes to how big science is and how there are so many different opportunities to do research. 

 

Our last couple days were busy! On day four, we took excursions out to local temples and bamboo forests. We got to learn how to practice traditional Japanese prayer and try local food (my personal favourite was the matcha ice cream). Then we bussed to downtown Kyoto to meet up with our buddies and shop! We went to all kinds of stores – from shops only found in Japan to stores like Japanese Disney. And when it felt like the day couldn’t get any better, we went out for sushi. This was my first time trying Japanese sushi as well as my first time trying conveyor belt sushi! The dinner was filled with laughter and amazing memories with our buddies. Then all of a sudden, it was our last day of the science fair and we were back at Ritsumeikan watching a truly amazing closing ceremony. The high school band was incredible, as were the cultural performances. 

 

I am beyond grateful that Shawnigan has this relationship with Ritsumeikan High School, and I encourage anyone to find a project that you’re passionate about and just try! I am grateful for Ms. Hanson, who was our teacher/chaperone for this trip. Her effort and commitment to making this trip amazing does not go unnoticed. 

 

And from behalf of our whole Shawnigan Lake School JSSF team, we would like to sincerely thank the individuals who supported us with such successful projects. First, we would like to thank Mr. Chancellor for his steadfast commitment to the hatchery program and to the students in the environmental program. Similarly, we are grateful to Ms. Ballantyne who undoubtedly has been the key mentor for our project. Ms. Ballantyne was always so encouraging and would check up on us and make sure we were on track with our reporting. She was always there to give a piece of advice and share some fantastic ideas when needed. Lastly, to all the teachers that joined us in Japan and those who have worked so hard behind the scenes: thank you Ms. Hanson, Mr. Wilke, and Mr. Stephens. We truly appreciate your support; all of the effort and guidance have been above and beyond! Your unwavering commitment and dedication to the science program is truly inspiring and appreciated not only by us, but by the School in its entirety.