BRDC Science Fair - Grayson County Middle Schools

The fun and excitement continues as 246 students in Grayson County competed for prizes at the 3rd Annual Science Fair! Independence Middle School hosted the Science Fair again this year and accommodated all the students and their projects as they set up in the gymnasium.

Judging for the event began on Thursday evening with the review and scoring of the projects. Scoring was based on the students research question or problem, design and methodology, data collection, analysis and interpretation or construction and testing (engineering projects), creativity, and their display board. Friday morning, the judging continued with the presentation/interview section of the scoring. This is where the students got to shine and tell the judges all about their experiences working on the projects and the results of their experiments and testing.

During the event, BRDC provided programs for the students about animals and “What makes Grayson County so Special”. Darin Handy and Aaron Floyd (BRDC Executive Director) presented the programs. As this is a community event, parents and family members were invited to view the projects and be there for the awards ceremony in the afternoon.

The Grand prize was once again a mini 3D printer (back by popular demand) with subsequent 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes of Acorn Naturalist gift certificates, Best in School plaques and participation certificates for all. The Winners of this years Science Fair are:

A.J. Perry, Grayson Highlands School; The Humidity Dilemma; Grand Prize and Best in School
Meg Donley, Grayson Highlands School; Color Fade; 1st Place 6th grade
Kristina Barnette, Independence Middle School; Which Wipe Works Well; 1st Place 7th grade and Best in School
Christopher Barnette, Independence Middle School; Recycled Technology; 2nd Place 6th grade
Tierca Lawson, Independence Middle School; Germs are Everywhere; 2nd Place 7th grade
Preston Jones, Aaron Peterson, Independence Middle School; Do Plants Grow Better with Sugar Water or Well Water; 3rd Place 6th grade
Emily Vaughan, Independence Middle School; Keep Your Fire Burning Longer!; 3rd Place 7th grade
Ethan Lineberry, Rachel May, Jasalyn Trimble, Fries School; Make our Cafeteria Cleaner; Best in School

BRDC is very thankful for all the community support for this great event. Grayson Express, Woody’s Pharmacy and Subway all contributed financially towards the prizes. Also, we could not have done it without the help of our fantastic volunteer judges: Deb Greif, Kim Phipps, John Kovacich, Bill Hylander, Brenda Bonk, John Fant, Niki Weir, Henry Hobson, Ken Kreuzer, Beverly Fermor, Heidi Breedlove, Keith and Pat Andrews. Many hours were spent reviewing all the 161 projects. We could not have done it without you….many heart felt thanks to you all!

Case study at Tremont!

Blue Ridge Discovery Center staff and board members took a fried-chicken-fueled trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont to study them as a model for the future of BRDC. 

Over the years, we have been introduced to examples of excellent nature centers across the United States but one, in particular, kept surfacing: Tremont. With a mission to deliver place-based education through inquiry and interest-driven techniques, Tremont falls directly in line with the goals of BRDC.

We packed up the Subaru, hit the highway and didn't stop until Gus's Famous Fried Chicken in Knoxville! Upon arriving at the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains we were greeted by the moss-laden Little River and steep valleys of Tremont. The campus itself is tucked privately across the river. There, we were generously hosted by President and CEO Jennifer Jones and Education Director John DiDeigo. We sat down in their map-covered library and discussed the nuances of a residential education center. Jen was kind enough to share the challenges and strategies of running a campus with 30 full-time staff and over 6,000 resident visitors a year. We discussed the core belief that we are all dedicated to, that education through interest-driven and inquiry-based models can change the world.  

Before a family style dinner with a visiting school group, we got the grand tour of campus in crisp 15-degree weather! We took a short walk over two beautiful locust bridges and to fairy tale island. With frozen toes and nose, we returned indoors and joined in the rambunctious Tremont faculty developed "Acorn Ball" - a version of dodgeball with an educational twist. 

That night the Tremont guides were kind enough to let us observe their astronomy program where we crouched on the frozen ground and discussed the constellations above. 

After breakfast in town, we returned to Tremont and joined in the morning Geology hike to a frozen waterfall. We observed their teaching techniques in action by tagging along with three different school groups. While making our way over the rugged ridges the groups studied faults, slope aspect, and rock types. The hike finished with the "Tremont Challenge" - dipping one's face for ten seconds into the frigid pool below the waterfall. Many students made the hike back with icicles dangling from their hair. 

The people, the campus and the students were all very inspirational. It was not hard to close my eyes and see the future of BRDC... hosting kids for overnight programs, exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, and teaching them how to think independently and critically. 

Many thanks to those at Tremont that welcomed us with open arms and who share our mission to better the world. Their enlightened view that the more institutions that are out there providing this type of service, the better the world will be was both refreshing and encouraging.

Tremont is such a spectacular place and getting it done! Pay them a visit if you have a chance!