Sisters Science Fair returns to high school

This Saturday, Sisters High School will turn into a giant science lab as the fourth annual Sisters Science Fair gets underway. The free, entertaining interactive family event runs from noon to 4 p.m. on February 21, at Sisters High School.

The science fair features student projects from all three local schools as well as community exhibitors, medical science, and environmental and ecology experiments and displays. The Design, Construct, Compete (DCC) contest challenges contestants to build and run a Mouse Trap Car and it promises to fill the high school gym with roaring cheers. The event also features paper airplane contests and rocket launches.

"The variety of experiments and displays from all three Sisters schools is a great reflection of the fantastic science in our schools," said Cal Allen, director of the Sisters Science Fair. "Plus, we have community businesses, universities and statewide organizations displaying and explaining their products and services. Everyone who attends is consistently amazed at the diversity in the science fair and how many things there are to see and do that appeal to every single person."

Art and science are often perceived as two opposing disciplines, but the SciArt Contest brings those two disciplines together. SciArt features photographs by Sisters students who were challenged to find and capture science in the art of photography. The photographs will be prominently displayed at the Science Fair.

Healthy living and green energy are on the minds of many Sisters citizens and several displays will pique viewers' interest. Students will be on hand to explain the greenhouse gardening and organic vegetables produced in the Sisters schools' Seed-To-Table Program. Composting worms and how-to instructions will help local residents begin their own worm compost bin. Chimps, Inc. wildlife sanctuary and Trout Unlimited are always popular displays. Trout Unlimited will be bringing back their trout stream with hands-on stream design and plenty of expert help.

The planetarium will be set up and students, teachers, the Sisters Astronomy Club and Oregon Observatory astronomers from Sunriver will be there to explain the intricacies of the vast night sky.

ENERGYneering Solutions, Inc., a local Sisters engineering and design company, will display some of their projects and demo 3-D printer models. Another Sisters company, MOHR Solutions, will talk about their innovative power and telecommunications firm.