These three students were chosen from a strong group of candidates. “We were looking for students who are passionate about science as well as who have those soft skills such as collaboration and communication,” explained science teacher Justin Wilke, who heads up the annual trip.

The fair will take place in November, and although they don’t yet know if this year’s event will be run in person or online, our students are thrilled to be involved.  We asked each of them to share a bit about their projects and why they wanted to participate in the fair – their wonderful responses are below.

Justin L., Grade 11 (Lonsdale’s)
My JSSF project is about PID controllers and their use in robot line tracking. The PID controller is a concept widely used in engineering and physics fields. In this project, the controller (the robot brain) would read values from three infrared sensors that are set at the bottom of the robot, and with the help of the PID algorithm, it would optimize the smallest amount of movement to track the line. The algorithm, just like its name, is composed of three different parts. Proportion, which directly relates to the line sensor value that the robot is reading at the moment, has the most effect in the overall performance (the direction of the robot). Integral, which relates to the summation of previous tuning, makes the turns even more accurate and faster. Derivative, which relates to the differences in previous tuning, makes the existing PI controller even faster and more accurate.

I intend to participate in JSSF because I believe it could be an excellent opportunity to communicate and share ideas with other keen scientists from all around the world. It is also a great opportunity for me to share my process of learning with others and hopefully inspire more students.

In the future, my intention would be to develop code for the robot to determine its tuning value by itself and eventually achieve the goal for self-adjusting line tracking.

Sarah M., Grade 10 (Renfrew)
The goal of my project is to determine the environmental effects of cigarette butts and vape cartridges on natural environments through chemical analysis and mass spectrometry. I chose this project because vaping has become so popular, but hasn’t really been studied yet. We’re aware that cigarettes are bad for both the environment and the body, so my project focuses on a comparison between the environmental effects of vapes and cigarettes, which will be measured through concentrations of toxic elements present in samples after being exposed to the contaminants.

I wanted to participate in JSSF because not only does it give me the opportunity to pursue my own scientific inquiry, but I’ll be able to present my findings to an international audience. Similarly, I’ll learn so much from the experience itself – not only will it be my first scientific inquiry, but I’ll be able to meet people from all over the world and learn about their cultures and experiences, as well as projects and interests.

I’m really excited to be collaborating with the University of Victoria’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. With their support, I’ll be able to use mass spectrometers to analyze my samples, and their team has been working with me to help develop and improve my experimental procedures to ensure high quality results.

Janie Z., Grade 11 (Renfrew)
My project is centered on researching the harmful impacts of the fast fashion industry and how biodegradable textiles can alleviate the issue of environmental degradation.

I will be experimenting with algae and attempting to bioengineer them into fibres, and then comparing them to synthetic ones. I’ll also be testing the effects of chemical dyes on ecosystems, and comparing them to bacteria dyes to see if there are noticeable differences.

I’m looking forward to working in a lab and reaching out to current researchers who are pioneers in the field. This is something that is out of my comfort zone, as I don’t have much experience working with algae and bacteria besides in my bio classroom this year, but it is also exciting to be in charge of my own project. Finally, climate change is something I’m really passionate about and I can’t wait to learn more about ways our world can solve this issue through science and innovation.

Going to the JSSF has been a goal of mine since I learned about it two years ago, and I’ve always wanted to conduct my own research project. As a student really passionate about STEM and planning on going into a STEM field for university, this experience will hopefully provide me with more tools and skills for my future projects.