EIT Hawke’s Bay Science & Technology Fair back bigger and better
The EIT Hawke’s Bay Science & Technology Fair, which began this week, will be bigger and better than ever after not being held last year due to uncertainty over changing COVID-19 alert levels.
The Fair has been a fixture on the Hawke’s Bay calendar for more than fifty years and is sponsored by EIT’s School of Viticulture and Wine Science, and GoHort. Hundreds of students from local intermediate and high schools take part in the event that rivals similar fairs in bigger cities in terms of entries, sponsorship and prizes.
Benjamin Himme, the Chairperson of the EIT Hawkes Bay Science & Technology Fair, says he is excited to “get back into the swing of things” again this year.
“We’re very excited to be back this year with events that promise to be a ton of fun.”
“I’m always blown away by the originality of the projects and the work that goes into them. I’ve seen students make cookies from crickets, plastic alternatives from bacterial-mould symbiotes, students try to tackle climate change and invent contraptions that do all sorts of weird and wonderful things. It’s always a delight to see what our young people, our future Scientists, are capable of,” says Mr Himme.
The fair, which is being held at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale this week (16-20 August), is a combination of four events - The EIT titrations competition (an analytical Chemistry competition for senior chemistry students), The GoHort Science Quiz, The Hawkes Bay Regional Council Technology Challenge, and the premier event - The EIT Hawkes Bay Regional Science and Technology Fair (Projects Category).
Mr Himme says that more than $10,000 in cash and spot prizes will be up for grabs this year.
“I’d really like to thank the amazing support we get from so many businesses and institutions around Hawke’s Bay, especially our two major backers: EIT and GoHort. Our sponsors don’t just support us financially, they also provide judges.”
“We get experts from virtually every field of Science and Technology. They don’t just judge the student’s boards, they discuss the Science and Technology behind the project with each student. “
He says that the event is made possible by an “amazing” team of volunteers, some of whom have served for longer than a decade.
More information about the EIT Hawke’s Bay Science and Technology Fair can be found at www.sciencefair.co.nz.
