Creativity, innovation and collaboration are qualities that should be championed at every age.
That belief is closely held at the University of New Brunswick and is integral to its enthusiasm for hosting the Canada-Wide Science Fair - a showcase of the top 500 science projects in the country, by the brightest minds in grades seven through 12 who compete for $1 million in cash awards and university entrance scholarships.
UNB Fredericton hosted the fair in 2015, a frenetic exhibition of young energy and ingenuity, and is proud to be selected as the Atlantic Canadian host for three upcoming fairs.
Michelle McNeil, senior director of Conference Services at UNB and one of the hosts for the 2015 event, recalls the creativity and intelligence on full display.
“Many of the projects are graduate-student quality,” she says. “The amount of work these middle and high school students put into this is truly impressive.”
Event organizers were equally impressed with what UNB and New Brunswick had to offer and selected the university as regional host for the fair in 2019, 2022 and 2025. Each time, teams from across the region will travel to New Brunswick along with their parents, judges, teachers and other science enthusiasts.
“Fredericton is a smart, sustainable community with a focus on entrepreneurship, and events such as the Canada-Wide Science Fair allow us to showcase and celebrate that,” says McNeil. “Fredericton will experience an entire week devoted to celebrating innovation with the brightest young minds in the country. In turn, those bright minds will see what Fredericton – and UNB – have to offer.”
