“Water Awareness Special Award” Winners Selected at 2011 Santa Barbara County Science Fair
The Santa Barbara County Regional Water Efficiency Program (RWEP) is pleased to announce its six winners of the “Water Awareness Special Awards” of the Santa Barbara County Science Fair. The award ceremony took place Friday evening, March 4th, 2011 at Corwin Pavilion on the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara.
With a panel of judges composed of members of the Regional Water Efficiency Program (RWEP), each science project was assessed for the theme of water resources, complexity of hypothesis, potential relevancy to water resources science in the future, and the students’ abilities to present the project professionally, both via display and verbally. Special consideration was given to topics that incorporated a water conservation theme.
Certificates and prizes were distributed to the winners in the following amounts: $200 for Winner; $150 for Runner-Up; $100 for Honorable Mention. The selected students represent a diverse set of schools throughout the county, including Bishop Garcia Diego High School, Pioneer Valley High School, San Marcos High School, La Colina Junior High School and Goleta Valley Junior high School.
The winners are as follows:
Senior High “Water Awareness Special Award”:
WINNER: “Water Purification Using Sea Shells”, Bishop Garcia Diego HS, Julia Pilkington
RUNNER-UP: “Fuel Moisture Content: Does it affect a Plant’s Flammability?”, San Marcos HS, Josh Chittick, Kevin Hempy
HONORABLE MENTION: “Hydroponic Footprint”, Pioneer Valley HS, Melissa Tinoco, Jennifer Atmaja
Junior High “Water Awareness Special Award”:
WINNER: “Greywater vs. Tap Water”, La Colina JH, Monica Criley
RUNNER-UP: “Can solar energy be used to purify polluted or salty water to make it safe to drink?”, Goleta Valley JH, Crystal Sterken
HONORABLE MENTION: “Plants and Their Environment”, Goleta Valley JH, Michael Aling
“I was impressed with the sophistication of the students’ deductive reasoning and use of scientific method. The topics were creative and professionally presented.”, said Fray Crease, Senior Water Resources Program Specialist with the Santa Barbara County Water Agency. “These are our water scientists of the future.”
The Santa Barbara County Regional Water Efficiency Program (RWEP) is comprised of water conservation and water resources specialists from water districts and municipalities throughout Santa Barbara County, and is pleased to recognize the efforts of Junior High and Senior High School students interested in the field of water resources.