Environmental Science Projects Earn Local Students Superior Rating

Thirty-eight students earned superior awards for their environmental science projects at the 14th annual Spokane Youth Environmental Conference, held on May 24, 2011, at Spokane Community College.  
 
Over 170 middle and high school students showcased their environmental science projects during oral presentations or poster sessions. Projects examined environmental science topics chosen by the students. Superior awards were presented to:
Kathryn Butler, Centennial Middle School, Grade 8
Tree Battles
Christopher Hatten, Centennial Middle School, Grade 8
Trash to Cash
William Fisher, Centennial Middle School, Grade 7
Testing Turbines for Maximum Power
Rachel Fricke, Bethany Williams, Freeman Middle School, Grade 8
Future City: Meredian
Brittney Sanders, Dylan Stout, Jordyn Brooks, Mountainside Middle School, Grade 7
Trout Survival in Varying Temperatures
Severyn Westbrook, The Enrichment Cooperative, Grade 7
Thermal Imaging: Do Energy Efficient Windows Work?
Holly Miller, Marissa Wellington, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Phantom Energy
Ivvie Shellhorn, Penny Zhang, Central Valley High School, Grade 12
Motor Oil Odyssey
DG Kim, Karl Ellingson, Courtney Owens, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Heating Water with Cheap Solar Energy 
Haley Feider, Clerie Calvo, Lucy Jones, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Banning Pesticide Use for Cosmetic Only Purpose
Molly Barnhart, Alyssa Peck, Shelby Pace, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Filtering Away Danger
Jessie Kunz-Pfeiffer, Philip Howard, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Clean Water Worldwide
Hailee Herbst, Courtney Petrini, Madie Laws, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Endangering our Aquifer
Carlin Coulson, Katy Dolan, Sammy Nania, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
Bacteria Growth on Your Produce: Does Washing Really Help?
Mathew Summers, Alex Slate, John Weiser, Central Valley High School, Grade 12
GMO: Friend or Foe?
Jaclyn Urbanec, Anusha Gollapalli, Melissa Morgan, Central Valley High School, Grade 9
 Animals Affected by the BP Oil Spill
Erik Kemp, Riverside High School, Grade 12
Odocoileus Virginianus: Response to Unnatural Food Sources
John Taylor, Riverside High School, Grade 11
Analysis on the Effects of Exercise on Memory

Students who earned superiors will receive a gift certificate to Auntie’s Bookstore, and participating schools receive a grant for their science program. Conference sponsors include: Auntie’s Bookstore, Avista Corporation, Budinger and Associates, Central Premix/Inland Asphalt, CH2MHill, GeoEngineers, Northwest Farm Credit Services, REI, Rockwood, Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, Spokane Conservation District, Telect, and TransCanada.

The Spokane Youth Environmental Conference is organized by staff from: NEW ESD 101, National Weather Service, Spokane Conservation District, Spokane County Water Resources, Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, WA Department of Ecology, and West Valley Outdoor Learning Center.
 
This summer, a journal will be published summarizing each of the superior-rated projects and posted online at www.syec.org. For more information about the Spokane Youth Environmental Conference, visit www.syec.org.