Last year, state budget cuts threatened to derail IUSD’s popular science fair, but the Broadcom Foundation swooped in to save the day by sponsoring the event – and they’ll generously do so again this year.
Program illustration by Hojung Kim, a sixth-grader at Oak Creek
The 30th annual Irvine Unified School District Science Fair, brought to you by the Broadcom Foundation in partnership with the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, will be held this Wednesday, March 2, at University High School. Approximately 380 science projects will be exhibited in Uni’s large gym by more than 400 elementary, middle and high school students from 30 schools. After the judges weigh in that morning, the fair will be open to the public from noon to 6:30 p.m. Student exhibitors will be on hand to explain their projects to visitors from 6 to 6:30, and the awards ceremony will kick off around 6:45 p.m. (Update: You can access a list of this year's IUSD Science Fair winners, along with eligibility rules for the O.C. Science Fair, by clicking here.) This year’s entries once again run the gamut. In leafing through the official program, we bookmarked “Hamster Color Choices,” “Loping A Horse Is Not Mare Physics,” “The Effect Of The Presence Or Absence Of Color On The Accuracy Of Eyewitness Identifications,” and “More Than Just Luck: Rock, Scissors, Paper and Decision-Making.” And then there was this one from Uni: “The Role Of The Parabrachial Nucleus In Regulation Of Cardiac Sympathoexcitatory Reflexes Evoked By Bradykinin.” (Truth be told, this was one of many high school entries that seemed way over our head.) “Science Fairs provide a valuable opportunity for youngsters to be creative, to have pride in their work, and to experience the hands-on use of the scientific method,” said Mark Sontag, IUSD’s math and science coordinator. “We would once again like to thank the Broadcom Foundation and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation for preserving this tremendous educational opportunity.” The Irvine-based Broadcom Corporation established the Broadcom Foundation in 2009 to enable young people from all walks of life to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and math. In partnership with local schools, colleges, universities and non-profit organizations, the Broadcom Foundation supports education and community programs where Broadcom employees live and work.