Kids show off smarts at Fresno STEM fair

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of science students in the Central Valley are getting ready to show off their smarts in this year's science, math and engineering fair.

The excitement of science fills the commerce building at the Fresno County Fairgrounds as students get ready.

The Fresno County Office of Education has hosted the event for 63 years, hoping to fuel a love of science in students.

"I think it's really important because I get really involved in science," elementary student Kathryn Wall said. "And I really like it, it's one of my favorite classes."

"It's always whatever students want to do because we want to make sure it's something they're interested in," Jonathan Dueck with the office of education. "That way we're not pushing them to one area or another. It's whatever you're studying bring that back it becomes more and more difficult as the years go on. For example, you don't see any volcanoes here."

More than 500 students entered submissions into the fair showing off experiments in everything from hydrogen fuel to sun protection.

"It really surprised me," student Samantha Mendonca said.

Mendonca studied which colors absorb the most heat. "I found out that black, my hypothesis, doesn't get the most heat," she said. "This one here does, grey does."

Andrew Stewart tested pitches on an antenna-based musical instrument called a theremin.

"I just tested how close your hand is and how far how it affects the noise that comes out of it," Stewart said.

The top four high school projects at the fair will go on to the regional fair in Phoenix in May.

Aside from bragging rights, organizers hope the event gets students thinking about a career in science.