The University of Lethbridge will serve as the host site for SCI-FUSION 2013, the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair & Science Olympics, this weekend.

Presented by the Southern Alberta Technology Council (SATC), the event will take place on the track level of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness beginning Friday afternoon and wrapping up Saturday evening.

Students in Grades four to 12 will present science projects with the chance of being selected to receive cash prizes and awards.

This year, approximately 100 students will demonstrate more than 70 projects. The event requires more than 50 judges and volunteers, many from the U of L faculty, staff and alumni community.

Up to four top students in the Grade 7 to 12 divisions will be chosen to represent Lethbridge at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, also taking place at the University of Lethbridge, May 11-18, where up to $1 million in cash, prizes and scholarships will be awarded.

Science Fair projects

Science fair projects encourage students to focus on a science question or problem, conduct research, construct and test a hypothesis, analyze data and then draw conclusions.

Further, students are challenged to communicate their results to science fair judges who will determine the students' level of understanding of their project. Projects have been pre-registered and are presented individually or with a partner. Participation in science fair projects has been known to lead to a life-long interest in science and has influenced many a career choice.

Science Olympics

Four-person teams work together to solve a hands-on science challenge. (In 2012, students worked against the clock to build the longest self-supporting Pinocchio nose). Divisions for the Science Olympics competition are Grades 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12.

This year, the event features 140 youth who take part in a surprise science challenge competition and are supported by more than 30 U of L Faculty of Education students, co-ordinated by Cynthia Greenfield, a local educator on secondment to the Faculty of Education, as well as a SATC volunteer.

To view the SCI-FUSION schedule, visit: https://secure.youthscience.ca/sfiab/lethbridge/index.php

For more information about Canada-Wide Science Fair, visit: http://cwsf.youthscience.ca