On Saturday, Mar. 17, Niles North High School will be hosting the annual Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) regional science exposition project session. This year, Niles North representatives hope to bring home their 22nd consecutive win as a group at their home turf.

The majority of Niles North students competing are comprised of freshmen in Honors Biology, members of the Research & Investigators Of Tomorrow (RIOT) Club and the students in the STEM Inquiry and Research (SIRs) class. Niles North will be sending more than 60 projects to the 2012 regional science exposition.

This year, 49 schools will be participating in the fair from the north half of Cook and DuPage Counties, and Lake County. Participants will present more than 500 projects. The regional competition is broken down into two primary divisions: the Junior Division, consisting of 7th and 8th grade students, and the Senior Division, which is composed of students currently enrolled in high school. Within those divisions, participants compete in one of 19 research-specific categories. Categories range from zoology, to physics, to environmental science, to mathematics, and to biochemistry.

“Each year I’ve competed at the IJAS Regional fair, the level of competition has gotten higher. This year there will be even more high schools represented, including Stevenson, Deerfield, Wheeling, Fremd, Ida Crown and Chicagoland Jewish High School,” senior Josh Lipschultz said. “I think that to host such a competition with so many excellent projects will be exiting for Niles North, and for us as a team. Despite Niles North’s historical performance at the regional competition, this year will definitely be more challenging than the last few years.”

Competitors face three judges who listen to a brief oral presentation, read their scientific research paper, critique their work and score their project according to the outline rubric established by the IJAS board. The number of points a competitor earns correlates to whether or not they will be granted a gold, silver or bronze award at the regional fair. The top projects in the regional competition are sent to state to compete at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in early May.

Papers that receive the highest scores in each category are in the running for the “Best in Category” honors, which are chosen by another group of qualified judges. Thus, for each category, there is one winner from the Junior Division and one winner from the Senior Division who are awarded with a plaque and monetary prize. Schools with the highest cumulative number of points from their representatives are awarded the first place trophy, which North students have won for over two decades.

“Students engaging in independent research develop ‘habits of mind.’  The experience helps students learn and practice some very important skills, namely persistence, tolerance for ambiguity, problem-solving skills, the ability to think flexibly, and learning the importance of accuracy and precision,” RIOT sponsor and science teacher Jacklyn Naughton said. “For the past 30 years I’ve been an ardent advocate of the research process.  This year, the students have, once again, impressed me with their ability to engage in research at the highest level.  I wish them success in the upcoming regional science fair.”

In addition to the “Best in Category” distinctions, Special Judges from companies and corporations also seek out projects that relate to their field of interest and award students with impressive prizes. Those in the Senior Division who have received “Best in Category” awards are also in the running for five open spots to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) which will be held in Pittsburgh, Penn., in May, all expenses paid.

Intel ISEF is one of the world’s most prestigious science and engineering competitions available to high school students and brings together some of the world’s brightest young researchers. Last year, four North students and one West student attended the Intel ISEF in Los Angeles, and were able to meet two District 219 alumni who became Nobel laureates, along with Bill Nye.

IJAS has numerous aims and objectives with the interest of the science student at heart. It exists solely for the benefit of students, whether or not they intend to become a science specialist in the future. The organization gives students some insight into the problems and methods of thinking that are particular to the scientist but applicable to other occupations, information concerning new investigations and discoveries in science, and an understanding of the science-produced equipment used. It encourages students with special ability and interest in science to go beyond the limits of the classroom in developing their own ideas and might even aid them in their progress towards a career in science and enhancing the knowledge of society as a whole.

The exposition will be open to the public starting at noon and all students are encouraged to stop by to view the projects. For more information, please contact Jacklyn Naughton ([email protected]) or another North science teacher.