For the 19th year, Flagstaff Academy Charter School's middle school students took center stage at the annual STEM Fair, presenting a dazzling array of experiments and inventions. This year’s event featured over 170 students displaying 120 projects in hopes of advancing to the prestigious 2025 Corden Pharma Regional Science Fair in February.
Projects were judged by dedicated staff and parent volunteers, with the top ten entries earning the honor of representing Flagstaff Academy at the regional competition. Students competed across 11 diverse categories, including chemistry, animal science, biomedical & health science, earth & environmental science, energy & transportation, math & computer science, engineering, behavioral science, macro and microbiology, plant sciences, and physics & astronomy.
The projects demonstrated both creativity and a passion for solving real-world challenges:
- Isaac Vercammen, an 8th grader, designed a stair-climbing wheelchair inspired by his goal to help individuals with mobility challenges. Unlike existing models on the market, Isaac’s is confident his innovation offers the same functionality at a more affordable price point.
- Emily Pan, a 7th grader, conducted an experiment exploring whether the color of food affects peoples’ perception of how it tastes. While her initial hypothesis wasn’t supported, Emily is already planning improvements for next year. “Instead of coloring apple juice, I would color just plain water,” she explained.
The STEM Fair provides an invaluable platform for students to engage with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in meaningful ways, while encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
“We are incredibly proud of the hard work, curiosity, and creativity our students displayed,” said Katie Gustafson, Flagstaff Academy Executive Principal. “This event showcases the dedication of our students and the strong community support that makes Flagstaff Academy such a unique place to learn.”