Science Fair Changed My Life

A Response to: "Stress and the school science fair" - Margot MacInnes - Globe and Mail

James Grant
April 21, 2004.

(Please note, this is an unedited version that just came off the top of my head. Please contact me if you would like a refined version)

UPDATE: Apr 22, 2004I would love to hear about your experiences, either as a parent or an exhibitor. Email me! I am going to open a new section of this website for these kinds of letters, I have already received several responses and will be posting them as soon as I get permission!


      I must say, after reading Margot MacInnes's article entitled "Stress and the school science fair" I found myself quite dissappointed by its content. Although it was intended to be a satire of the 'science fair preparations' that happen at households across canada each year, it was somewhat disheartening as to hear a 'story' that had absolutely no relevance in my household. First, I will give you a little background. In grade 7, being 'forced' to do a science project I will admit I was not all that entheusiastic about it. However, as the time went on, and my project neared completion... the project that I had thought of, worked on, and completed all by myself, with very little parental assistance had neared completion. With the project research and conclusions completed, it was time to create a visually appealing display. This is where my parents, especially my mother came into play. "Should I make the title black or bright pink?" I asked my mom, who, holding out all judgement saw the flicker in my eye when I said "bright pink!"... "Bright pink looks great!" she replied. Then she helped me cut ouf the 15 letters in bright pink that made up "Going, Going, Gone!", the title of my project. The title, I had thought up myself from watching TV. "It keeps going, and going, and going...." the engergizer bunny said. But after doing my experiment, I knew it didnt go forever like the TV had said, It infact died shortly after 3 hours, whereas Duracell and Panasonic lasted over 6 hours, over twice as long. So much for the energizer bunny I remember thinking to myself. So with the school fair quickly approaching, I finished my project display at nearly 1AM, the day it was due. My mom of course drove me to the school the next day, and helped me unload the project into the school gymnasium where my spot was assigned. The day went by, without either parents around, because, I had done the project myself, why should they be there hovering over me? this was MY thing! The marks came back the next day, 89%, WOOHOO! guess what! I placed 7th in the school, I got to go on to the regional fair! So nearly a month later, I pack my project up and my dad hoists it into the van for me, and an hour later I am setting up at the Quinte Mall, the home of the Quinte Regional Science and Technology Fair. My parents stick around all day, but quickly vanish whenever a judge comes around, letting me do 'my thing'. At the end of the day, I win a 1st place! WOOHOO! I rememeber thinking to myself. I won! now its time to go home while they present all these silly special awards that I know I'm not going to win any of. So I start to head back to my project to finish packing up while the award ceremony finishes. "James Grant" they call! WAIT! Thats me! I take a wild dash back to the stage, not having any clue what I have won, all I know is that I heard my name! I get to the stage, and they hand me this brown envelope. Oh great I think, a brown envelope, just my lucky day. Then... "The Canada-Wide Science Fair, 1993 Team, heading to Rivierre du loup Quebec!" what? I'm going where? for what?! "What is this "Canada-Wide Science Fair"?? The presenters request that all the people on the stage stay for a few minutes after the fair, while they send everyone else home. Hmm this must be a big deal I think my myself.

      "Canada-Wide Science Fair 1993".... the week that changed my life. A science fair project had changed my life!!.

      So winning this trip to the nationals wasnt just 'the national science fair'. This was, well, the most amazing experience of my life to date. Being in grade 7 I didnt have much experiences to build on. But my experiment with batteries had lead me to something that had come out of nowhere and was the last thing on earth that I had expected. The CWSF.

      I didnt win anything at the CWSF that year in Rivierre du loup, but I remember not caring at all, I WON a trip to the CWSF! an all expenses paid trip, a week off school, a week without teachers, a week without parents, a week without those bullies that teased me for knowing what "pi" was. I was sitting one day, in the big tent having lunch, spaghetti I think it was, 11 years ago now, and looking down at the paper tablecloth, where someone had written, pi="3.14159265358979323...." and on and on, nearly 100 digits of pi. where had this come from? I didnt care, I knew what it meant even if I didnt know anything past 3.14159. These people here think like me, they are like me, they have the same interests, they have the same thoughts, these are 'my people'.

      So what did all this mean to me? a 7th grader? well it meant of course that I absolutely HAD to come back in grade 8! I HAD to attend the 1994 CWSF in Guelph. I absolutely had to! The thought process began for my new project on the way back from the CWSF, what to do next year?! how can I make it back? what can I do?!

      Well, eventually an idea came to mind, and before long I was back at the CWSF in Guelph this year. Amazing, I loved every minute of it! Next year? where is it?! Whitehorse! WOW! I remember thinkig, I just have to make it there! I just want to go! a year later, with months of my own effort, I was in Whitehorse, staying at the High Country Inn.... down the street from the, Amy? Caroline? Claire? "Taki-Ewwww!" Having snowball fights in the middle of May, enjoying the company of amazing people, all who share similar interests to me.

      Year after year 1993-1999, I just absolutely HAD to be a part of this event, I spent months and months, working on, developming my new project, knowing that the competition was fierce, knowing that I just had to beat that guy from the other school. I HAD to do this, this was the best thing that had ever happened to me, I HAD to do it again!

      And sure enough, year after year, a child with enough motivation, enough drive, enough willpower and guidence to get what he wants will usually succeed. My parents were great assets in creating my project each year. Editing my final drafts, helping me decide on colours, cutting out those pesky letters to glue to the board. They were there behind me each year, guiding me, letting me choose my own path yet not letting me fall off the edge. Even as the years went on, my grade 10-OAC projects my parents could not even possibly understand what the computer project was, but they knew that blue looked better than yellow, and that red would stand out better than green. My displays were always superb thanks to my parents. And year after year, I attended the CWSF, on my own strive to excellence, for it was only compulsory in grade 7, grades 8-OAC proved to be a stiffer competition and more competitive each year.

      Attending the CWSF from 1993 to 1999 changed my life, there is no doubt about that, but how much as it changed my parents lives? Since, this is afterall what Margot MacInnes's article is about, the effect on the parents. Well my parents learned to stand behind me, to guide me, to help me where they could. The surely could not write my award winning computer software for me, but they could definitely help me construct my plywood backboard, attach the hinges, choose the colours and the best font sizes to use. My parents were instrumental in completing every one of my sevel science fair projects. But they never took over. It was always MY project. I did what I wanted to do, if they didnt think it would work, then that was just fine, because my hypothesis would fail and I would have just as sound of a project as if my hypothesis had been correct. The project was never about the right and wrong, it was always about the process to get to the end, whatever that end might be. In my eyes, the 'end' was always the Canada-Wide Science Fair. It was the ultimate achievement each year. I loved it and would always be thinking about "what am I going to do next year?"

      Well, where does that put me now? I have just graduated from Computer Engineering at the Universitiy of Ottawa. Computer Engineering you may ask? Yes that was definitely influenced by my participation in science fairs. The thought process, the problem solving was all what I had learned from science fairs, what I had been so pasionate about, so why turn my back on it after highschool? Engineering was definitely the place for me. But! that definitely wasnt the end of my 'Science Fair Career!'. After my last year as a participant I simply HAD to go back! Science fair withdrawl would have overcome me if I didnt take part in one way or another! So I contacted the CWSF2000 London host committee and volunteered to help out, doing whatever they wanted me to! The following year, CWSF2001 in Kingston I was lucky enough to be a judge for the projects in my area of expertice (computer/engineering) and after judging was finished I ended up staying around and volunteering for the rest of the week as well. CWSF2002 came around, Saskatoon! how would I get from Ottawa to Sasktoon for the science fair?! Being at so many fairs in the past, I had the contacts I needed, I contacted my friend who had been a chaperone before (thanks Dominic!) and asked for info on the Ottawa Regional Science Fair. Before long I had joined the committee and when it was time to find a chaperone, I was there to volunteer! I attended CWSF2002 and CWSF2003 as the chaperone for the Ottawa Region, helping guide our students through the fairs, the the judging process. I might be full of my self, but I feel that my experience in CWSF participation helped our students, I was always able to answer their questions about the fairs, about judging, about what goes on. I knew what went on at the fairs, I knew what the students wanted, and I hope I always let them experience the fair to its fullest as I had.

      This story wouldnt be complete however without my plans for CWSF2004, St. Johns Newfoundland. First, I must say that I am super excited to be a part of this year fair, and as im sure all of you are wondering, HOW? Well, I'll tell you how! Since the CWSF has had such a profound affect on my life, I want to give this experience back to the students that I once was. This year, I am Co-Chair of the CWSF 2008 BID COMMITTEE. We are bidding to bring the CWSF to Ottawa, Canada's Capital in 2008. The event will be held at the University of Ottawa (which I have just completed my engineering degree at!) and will be one of the finest CWSF's ever had. Since 1962, the very first CWSF was held in Ottawa, the fair has never come back to Canada's Capital. I believe it is definitely time to bring it back!

      As for Margot MacInnes, and her ideas, thoughts, and beliefs that the Science Fair's only purpose is to cause stress for the parents and annoy the students, I suggest that she attends a National Science fair and see what the students can achieve with a little freedom and imagination can achieve first hand. In fact, if we win our bid for the CWSF2008 fair, I will personally invite Margot to attend the fair in Ottawa as a special press VIP. I am confident that once she experiences the force that is the "CWSF" she will have quite different views on the whole science fair movement. I leave you now with a quote from a guest speaker at one of the fairs that I attended.

      "You are the smartest young minds in Canada, you will accomplish all that you setforth and I wish you good luck"

      As well as another one, which always makes me chuckle, but is soo true:

      "You are the smartest students in Canada WITH LIVES".

      Okay, now I need to explain this one... "WITH LIVES" why you ask? well, if the CWSF students were the smartest (grades, GPA, etc) students in Canada, they wouldn't be at the CWSF. The students at the CWSF have a unique personality, a unique ablility to communicate effectively and efficiently with their teachers, their parents, their peers, the judges and all those who choose to communicate with them. Having a 99% highschool average means nothing if you cannot communicate, if you cannot get across what you are trying to say you might as well not say anything at all. All participants of the CWSF have this gift of combined 'smarts' and communication.

      The science fair movement has changed my life for the better, and I know it has influenced all those who have ever attended any science fair. For those who have not ever attended, I have just one question... "Why not?!"


© 2004; James Grant