(Fort McMurray, AB, March 29, 2022) Fort McMurray Public School Division (FMPSD) congratulates all of our students who participated in the Wood Buffalo Regional Science Fair (WBRSF) and swept the event. The virtual award ceremony happened on March 26, 2022. Special congratulations to Dhyan Patel, Manorama Joshi, Sparsh Patel, and Nishka Rai (photo collage in order from top L-R) - all Westwood Community High School students who have been selected for the virtual Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF) being held in Fredericton, NB from May 16-20, 2022. This is the second year in a row Team Wood Buffalo consists of FMPSD students.
Dhyan Patel, 18, who is in grade 12 is heading to the national event for the second time. He won last year as well. His project is called “Where What Goes. The Combination of CV and AI to Enhance the Recycling Experience.” He shared on attending, and more about his project.
“It feels amazing and I am very excited to attend the CWSF again this year. I am looking forward to meeting all the youth and seeing all the amazing projects. My project is focused around tackling the problem of wrongful garbage disposal and increasing recycling in the community. I created a deep learning garbage classification model which I integrated into a classification system and an app. This allows individuals to recycle in public on the fly and conveniently from the comfort of their home by simply taking a picture.”
Manorama, 17, is in grade 12. Her project “Automotive SMART Cane for the Visually and Auditorily Impaired (Deafblindess) impressed judges.
“Winning feels like a dream! I remember back in grade 6 when I first participated in the WBRSF and hoped to one day be able to go to the Canadian Wide Science Fair. I am honoured and excited to represent the region this year! My project is based on developing an affordable cane that uses distance and motion-activated technologies to give mobility and independence to people with deafblindness through vibrations and sound.”
“In the future, I see myself excelling in engineering within the computer AI field with the intention of growing my network, receiving diverse mentorship, and gaining tools to aid my goal - I want to create a start-up focused on engineering impactful solutions to elevate the quality of life for people at risk,” added Manorama.
Sparsh Patel’s project, “FOCUS! An EEG and ANN Powered Brain Sensing Headband for Accident Prevention” helps combat the pressing problem of distracted driving.
“I’m exhilarated to attend the Canada Wide Science Fair. FOCUS is about distractions on the road, which takes millions of lives every year. To address this issue, I created a brainwave sensing headband that can detect and accurately predict an individual’s state of mind - if they are focused, distracted, asleep or any type of similar brain activity. This way either the individual can be removed from the road, or they can take immediate action to prevent an accident,” said the 17-year-old grade 12 student, who was accepted to the University of Waterloo yesterday where he will pursue software engineering.
Grade 9 student, Nishka Rai, 14, enthused that winning still feels “unbelievable, but I'm very happy and excited. I'm extremely grateful to be able to have this opportunity to represent Wood Buffalo at the Canada Wide Science Fair!”
She worked on “Buzz! An Affordable Chronic Wound Alert System,” which is a “smart bandage model for patients with chronic wounds. This will allow patients to know when they should change the bandage for better and faster healing through temperature, humidity, and pH levels in order to detect and help the wound healing process.”
Jeremy Hiscock, President, Wood Buffalo Youth Science Foundation, which oversees the WBRSF is also our Composite High School science teacher. He was delighted with the results.
“The 2022 Wood Buffalo Regional Science Fair has been another amazing success. Our region’s bright young minds have again shown us their best. Our community’s volunteer judges had so many incredible things to say about our students. We have some real talent here, fostered by supportive parents and inspiring teachers in both of our districts. As always, it was a privilege to be part of this team of science enthusiasts with the Wood Buffalo Youth Science Foundation.”
“Science fair season is a special time where the excitement of curiosity flourishes. Even on the national stage, Wood Buffalo’s projects have consistently impressed the judges, and we have high hopes for our national nominees this year. Congratulations to all of the students who put in such hard work to build up the many skills that come with doing science fair. We already cannot wait until the grade 4-6 WBRSF on May 6-7. So much more bursting inquisitiveness is on the way,” Hiscock added.
Annalee Nutter, Superintendent, FMPSD, congratulated all the participants, and the finalists.
“FMPSD’s amazing students never cease to amaze us. We had a great turnout from across the Division. Dhyan, Manorama, Sparsh and Nishka’s phenomenal projects are testament to their desire for making our world a better place. We know the future is in remarkable hands with our extraordinary youth. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish at the national science fair.”
Congratulations guys!
For more information, please contact:
Kiran Malik-Khan
Communications Consultant
FMPSD
kiran.malikkhan@fmpsd.ab.ca