ATHENS, OH – Students grade 5-12 in Pike, Scioto, Ross, and Jackson counties can sign up to participate in District Science Days, an unparalleled learning experience that provides exposure to a community of young scientists and competition for scholarships and awards for students from southern Ohio.

Students must create a login in the system by Dec. 15, and registration for District Science Day closes Feb. 26.

Students competing in District Science Days present their original projects following either standard scientific method or engineering design principles. Through inquiry-based project learning, students gain skills in posing a research question, creating a hypothesis, method development, data collection, data analysis, and written and oral communication.

Students earning a superior at their school fair qualify to compete at their District Fairs and those earning superiors at District Fairs qualify to compete at State Science Day held in Columbus each May. High school students in both districts have the additional opportunity to qualify for the Buckeye Science and Engineering Fair which allows them to compete for a spot at the International Science and Engineering Fair and high school students in Ross and Jackson Counties can compete for a spot at the International Fair straight from their district.

District Science Days is sponsored by Ohio University (OU) and led by Dr. Natalie Kruse Daniels, faculty director of the Master of Science in Environmental Studies and Master of Sustainability, Security and Resiliency degree programs conferred by OU’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. District Science Days is supported by various colleges at OU including the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Arts and Science, Health Sciences and Professions, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and is also supported by OU’s Research Office and the PORTSfuture Program. Other regional partners include the Ohio Academy of Sciences, Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, and Brennen’s Coffee Cafe.

“Science Days allow students to explore their curiosity, test their hypotheses, and engage with science, math, technology, and even language arts through their project,” said Dr. Kruse Daniels. “The students in our District are exciting young scientists and we love to mentor them and watch them grow. The students who compete at District Science Day have the opportunity to win prizes, spend time with other students from our region, and qualify for State Science Day and, for high schoolers, the International Science and Engineering Fair.”

PORTSfuture funding has increased participation for students and schools in the four-county region; supported teachers with connecting students with scientists at OU; provided staff to coordinate schools; supported district fair operations; and connected students from the four-county region with OU resources.

Teachers who participated in past academic years received a $500 stipend from the PORTSfuture Program. Last academic year, PORTSfuture supported 6 schools in Jackson and Ross Counties, mentored 79 students and 73 of those students presented at the District Science Fair.

“Through the US Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management’s investment to the PORTSfuture Program, we are proud to support this effort to engage and inspire the youth of southern and southeastern Ohio,” said Stephanie Howe, Director of Energy Programs at the Voinovich School. “District Science Days is an incredible opportunity for kids – our future workforce – to become engaged in the science, technology, engineering and math fields as early as possible to begin to prepare them for jobs in these fields.”

Ohio’s 2023 International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist was Macy Long, a Senior at Zane Trace High School in Ross County. Her Project Title was “Human Ultrasonic Echolocation Device for Assisting the Visually Impaired.” Macy competed at the International Fair in Dallas, Texas, and her travel costs were generously sponsored by Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, LLC.