Niles North hosted and competed at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) Regional Fair on Saturday, March 9. North took home 29 gold awards, 18 silver awards and 7 bronze awards and 26 of the 60 Niles North students that competed qualified for the IJAS State Exposition to be held May 3 and 4 at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Middle schools and high schools from the area took part in the fair and with 650 students who created more than 588 projects about a variety of topics ranging from aerospace to zoology.

Those participating in the fair were required to make a show board which displayed all of the elements of their research project in a visibly attractive and understandable way. Students also prepared an oral presentation which summarized their research for the panel of judges,  comprised of teachers, parents and college professors.

Following the judging, there was an awards ceremony which included best in category. Corporations presented special awards to encourage students to continue with their science studies. Students advancing to the next level will travel to the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana for the state science fair finals.

Students who received gold awards and qualified for state:  Ahad Bootwala, Aliza Malyani, Athanasia Giannetos, Basil Alias, Daniel Ammer, Eddie Reinfranck, Franco Benyamin, Haley Sproull, Ilma Lodhi, Lindsay Pietz, Maggi Kreisheh, Martin Wiviott, Matthew Gaynes, Micah Beller, Moshe Rubin, Myhahn Lu, Quynh Nguyen, Raisa Salik, Raymond Truong, Reena Patel, Rupal Desai, Sam Bearman, Samantha Weil, Sara Berlowe, Sarah Ly, Shahina Hussain, Shaista Khan, Uzma Patel and Zainab Shah.

“I am so thankful for having been given this inspiring and rewarding opportunity to participate in science fair,” freshman Sammy Weil said. “I’m so excited for what’s to come at state.”

This year, rather than going to state, Lindsay Pietz, Moshe Rubin and Haley Sproull will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, to attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) where they’ll have the opportunity to present their projects on an international level. More than 1,500 students from more than 70 countries travel to ISEF each year to present and compete for the grand prize: a $50,000 scholarship.

Sproull, a senior and SIRs participant, was given the opportunity to participate in the Intel ISEF last year.

“Performing research and competing in science fairs provides tons of really neat experiences,” Sproull said. “I am so grateful that the honors biology curriculum pushed me to do a Science Fair project!”