Beyond the Beaker: The 2026 Science Fair

By Jessie Nicholls, Aoi Philipp, and Miu Yamazaki

The Middle School Science Fair is an annual Husky tradition where students present their independent research projects. The event gives students the opportunity to explore topics that interest them, conduct experiments, and develop critical thinking skills. Throughout the process, students learn how to create proper scientific reports under the careful guidance of their teachers. To learn more about this year’s projects, we interviewed seven students about their Science Fair experiences. 

For the 6th graders, this was their very first experience participating in the Middle School Science Fair. To learn more about their experience, we interviewed two students, Nikita and Kai.

Nikita worked on a project about the Titanic, where he explained how the ship sank, how water filled the ship, and how the passengers were affected. To help the audience better understand his presentation, he brought in a LEGO Titanic prototype as a physical model. Nikita said he was impressed by everyone’s projects and proud of how his own project turned out. He chose this topic because he wanted to teach people about the inside of the Titanic and how the disaster happened. Looking ahead, he hopes to create a project related to LEGO logic.

Kai tested the strength of clear tape and duct tape in different situations to determine which worked better. By the end of his experiment, he concluded that duct tape was stronger overall, although clear tape also performed well. Kai said he chose this project after seeing similar experiments on YouTube and becoming curious about whether the results were actually true. He described the experience as enjoyable and interesting.

For the 7th graders, this was their second year participating in the Middle School Science Fair. We interviewed Momoka and Grace to hear about their projects and experiences.

Momoka created an experiment involving magical magnetic slime, testing how far the slime would stretch depending on the strength of a magnet. She discovered that stronger magnets caused the slime to stretch farther. Although she said she did not enjoy the experience as much this year because she ran out of time to fully complete her project, she still found working with others to be fun. Momoka also shared that she “Kaizened” by taking better notes than she did last year, and next year she hopes to manage her time more effectively and improve her overall project.

Grace worked on a project called “Fireworks in a Glass,” where she observed how different liquids reacted with one another to create colourful effects. She chose the project because she enjoys working with liquids and thought the colourful reactions looked exciting online. Grace described this year’s Science Fair as fun and entertaining, and said she would gladly participate again. She also felt that she “Kaizened” by putting more effort into creating a hands-on project instead of taking an easier approach. Next year, she hopes to build a catapult. Overall, the 7th graders had a great second year at the Science Fair and are excited to participate again next year.

For the 8th graders, this year’s Science Fair marked their final Middle School Science Fair experience. To reflect on their last year, we interviewed Yuki, Kaho, Jack, and Marcus about their projects and what they learned throughout the process.

Yuki researched natural water filtration and marine life, testing different materials to determine which were most effective at cleaning water and improving conditions for marine animals. She explained that she “Kaizened” by shortening her presentation to make it clearer and easier for others to understand.

Kaho created a project involving food batteries using lemons and other fruits. Although her experiments did not work as planned, she was still proud of herself for taking on a hands-on project and enjoyed the experience overall.

Jack’s project focused on paper airplanes and how adding different weights affected the distance they could fly. While he struggled with organisation and time management during the process, he enjoyed interacting with students and teachers while presenting his work.

Lastly, Marcus experimented with different liquids to observe which would float and which would sink. He especially enjoyed meeting and presenting to many friendly people throughout the event. After participating in several Science Fairs over the years, Marcus said he has gained valuable experience and become much more confident in his presentation skills.

Overall, the 2026 Annual Science Fair was a huge success for the middle school students. It gave them the opportunity to experiment with new ideas, explore their creativity, and share their results with the community. From first-time 6th graders to experienced 8th graders completing their final middle school projects, students demonstrated curiosity, hard work, and growth throughout the event. We are already looking forward to seeing what exciting projects the 2027 Middle School Science Fair will bring next year.