The STEAM Fair was a vibrant showcase of scientific inquiry, creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration that engaged all middle school students, grades six through eleventh. The journey began with focused practice of the scientific method in a variety of settings related to grade-specific learning content. These initial activities provided a solid foundation for students to master skills such as formulating research-based hypotheses, designing experiments, and analyzing data.

For grades 6, 7, 10 and 11, the field trips provided valuable opportunities for
to observe phenomena in real-world contexts, which served as a starting point for their experimental investigations. For their part, the 8th and 9th grades, who did not participate in the field trips, worked on single topics: ecosystems and sustainability, respectively. After the field trip period, the students designed and conducted experiments, collected and analyzed data, and formulated their conclusions. The fair was the culmination of this hands-on, student-led process. The groups presented their research through engaging tri-folds and demonstrations, effectively showcasing their findings and supporting their ideas with practical evidence. The presentations were shared several times with different audiences, including parents, elementary students, and teachers. This immersive experience not only highlighted the students’ scientific skills, but also fostered resilience, critical thinking and confidence in sharing their work.

The success of the STEAM Fair was made possible by support from multiple disciplines, including learning support, psychology, ICT, English, communications, global perspectives and social studies. These contributions ensured that students were able to communicate their findings effectively, present professional visuals, and explore broader social and environmental implications of their projects.

Post-fair reflection sessions encouraged participants to consider ways to improve and deepen their understanding of the scientific method. This ongoing commitment to inquiry is aligned with our goal of fostering education based on sustainable development and global citizenship.
Congratulations to all the students and staff who made this year’s STEAM Fair an inspiring success!