February 1, 2024
DES students participate in ECU science fair
Five K-12 students participated in the third annual Discoveries in Earth Science (DES) program science fair this month.
Grace Berry, Raquan Craig, Shane Harris, Owen Muir and Yurem Santiago presented their research projects to their family, friends, ECU faculty and students, and volunteers. Dr. Anthony Thompson, Dr. Alex Manda, Dr. Alana Zambone and Kolachi Oparanozie served as judges.
The students’ projects ranged from topics such as drying sponges, salty or not salty and biodegradable spoons and bottles to geodes and the effects of land slopes on the amount of erosion.
Dr. Rhea Miles, the director and principal investigator of the DES program, said she was excited to see the students participate in regional science fairs this year.
The DES program aims to make learning earth science accessible to visually impaired and blind students. In order to do this, the program has several goals: increasing competency in science for students with blindness or visual impairment (BVI), developing participants’ skills to independently conduct earth science activities, assisting participants with analyzing scientific data, and preparing participants for the scientific workforce.
