Lambton County students are being encouraged to brainstorm ideas for the 2026 Lambton County Science Fair.
Spokesperson Melissa Chopcian said it will be held at Lambton College again this year and is open for kids in Grades 3 through Grade 12.
"Last year, we had about 55 participants. Anytime we can have more participants, the better. We want to include as many kids in the event as we can," said Chopcian. "We've had projects relating to medical care, like what creates good sleeping habits, to projects that relate to the environment and discuss climate change."
She said they want to support anything kids want to explore and have them join the science fair to test their ideas.
"Registration is now open. They can sign up on our website lambtoncountysciencefair.com for more information. If you do well in the local science fair, the participants who are in Grades 7 to 12 will qualify to go to the Canada-wide Science Fair, which is going to be held this year in Edmonton from May 23 to May 30," Chopcian said.
She loves seeing familiar faces return each year.
"It's really been sweet to see how they have grown, both personally and with their project... to see their minds grow as well," she said. "But, it's also a great opportunity for us to invite new participants. No project is too small to participate in the science fair. If you have a question in your mind that you want to explore, you can certainly explore that and enroll your project into our fair."
Chopcian said if you're lucky enough to advance to the national contest, it's an excellent opportunity to meet more kids who are also interested in science.
"They do intermix events to explore the City of Edmonton and connect with other participants," Chopcian said. "I personally participated in the Can-wide science fair myself when I was in grade school and high school and it was an excellent experience. I created lifelong friendships, and it's something that I strongly promote for any student who's in Grade 7 to 12 who wants to explore science and meet more people."
Chopcian said the trip is covered for the students.
"There's funding from the Lambton County Science Fair for flights... pretty much everything. The student doesn't have to pay for anything except if there's something related to their project, they would have to cover that," she said.
She said they've created a mini-series on their Facebook page to help students who are unsure about how to create a science fair project.
The science fair will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 10 and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 11 with awards to follow.
The deadline to register is March 30 at 5 p.m.
