Nothing feeds the mind like a good trip to a science fair. Especially if you’re participating as a contestant!

There are truly so many aspects of the world that are being explored, and I feel astonished at the sheer number of young aspiring scientists and children with the drive to explore their inquiries. I think it’s truly amazing how creative youth are, and it’s truly so lucky that we have this opportunity.

I’ve participated in the Calgary Youth Science Fair twice before, and I’ll be returning for a third time in a few days. The reason I keep going back is because I find it so rewarding. In this article, I’ll discuss 5 of the biggest benefits.

1. Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome

For those who don’t know, the imposter syndrome is an effect where you feel like you are less qualified to be in the environment that you’re in. This makes you feel like an “imposter”, as if you’re a secretly inadequate individual hiding among people who know more and are more capable than you. Funny enough, this feeling of secret isolation is a syndrome, which means it happens to many people.

It’s particularly relevant at the Calgary Youth Science Fair, where you are greeted with thousands upon thousands of giant trifolds set up in the Calgary Olympic Oval. Most students spend months, if not years, researching, experimenting, and innovating, so this is often quite intimidating. You’re faced with research and work that has taken so long to do, from so many individuals, that your own project sometimes seems to diminish.

Fear not. You can do this!

It’s such a humbling experience, knowing that so many other people have worked incredibly hard to get their work out there. But attending the fair will also teach you that even when you feel overwhelmed, you can’t forget that you have worked incredibly hard as well. You deserve your spot in the forest of trifolds, and constant exposure to the excellence of others will remind you of the importance of overcoming the imposter syndrome.

2. Experiencing Research

For many of us exploring career fields, we don’t get too much first-hand experience. The CYSF is one of the best ways to get experience in doing research (or as close as you can get when you’re still a grade-level student most of the time).

You have to do background research, come up with a meaningful topic, research and experiment, analyze your data, and then find a way to present all your work within five minutes to a judge on the spot. Oftentimes you’ll also have to cold-email professors and experts in the field, which is time-consuming and frustrating when response rates are low.

But it’s also an incredibly rewarding way to explore your passion. And if you think you might want to go into research, or if you’re wondering about a career direction, consider participating in the CYSF for the experience. It is one of the only research-resembling experiences for elementary to high school students available.

3. Learning to Explain

Learning to explain a complex topic that has taken months, if not years, to learn and explore within the five minutes in which you have the judges’ attention is crucial. And so, the science fair helps you learn to explain complex ideas in simple terms so that even a fifth-grader would be able to somewhat understand what your project is about.

Explaining and speaking at the CYSF requires more than just condensing and abstraction; it also requires confidence and public speaking skills. If you don’t have any – good news! Now you have an opportunity to develop some. If you’re already confident, now you have another opportunity to practice. Either way, these interpersonal skills are crucial to any career and will make a huge difference in your career path.

4. Connecting with Like-Minded People

Even if you’re not interested in STEM, there’s going to be something at the science fair of interest to you. Project topics range from genetic engineering coral reefs to patterns of speech and language.

You’ll meet others just as interested in your project topic, your career field, and your interests. You’ll also meet judges who are professors, teachers, principals, and researchers. Not only is it wonderful to nerd out over your passions, but you might just meet someone who’ll be willing to dish out a future opportunity to do research in their lab. It’s a great way to network.

5. Learning About Innovation

The scientific community is ever-evolving, and so are its theories and ideas. You wouldn’t believe how outdated our textbooks are, even the ones that were only published a few years ago. It’s so difficult to print and teach at the pace of scientific innovation, so you’ll find that you’re actually several decades behind on research in some cases. It’s fascinating to learn more about the different ways that science has progressed to solve the worlds current events: climate change, global disease, mental health, aging, sociocultural globalization and trade, and robotics applications in almost everything.

TL;DR

If you take away anything from this article, it should be that the CYSF is an incredible place to learn about yourself, your potential future in science and research, as well as your surroundings and how they are evolving as we speak. Isn’t that so exciting?