Outstanding Achievement in International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering, and Environment) Project Olympiad (ISWEEEP)
On April 15th through April 20th, 5 students from SSA competed in the International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering, and Environment) Project Olympiad (ISWEEEP) as 5 of just 7 students who represented the state of Arizona. There were three 8th graders: Joshua Sloane, Ostin Zarse, and Stanley Palasek. In addition, one 6th grader, Bogdan Racolta, and one 10th grader, Kelsey Waite, were invited there. More than 1500 projects applied to be considered in the competition from science fairs around the world and only 450 of the best projects were selected. Over 60 countries, 450 projects, 600 students, 300+ adults, and 200+ judges came to this event which was hosted in downtown Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The quality of the students’ projects was absolutely outstanding. The environment at the competition celebrated the coming together of nations from all over the world for a common goal: A sustainable future for our world. Students attacked energy, engineering, and environmental problems with ingenious solutions from reusing oil from waste coffee grounds as a source of fuel. SSA students at ISWEEEP studied ways to improve the energy output of solar panels, obtaining oil from algae as an alternative sustainable fuel source, and finding the most energy efficient carbohydrate by measuring metabolism rates when reacted with yeast.
Students got to meet each other at socials and frolicked during the arduous 8hr judging session on Saturday April 18th. They also went to the Houston Natural History Museum and the NASA Johnson Space Center to see how their skills may be put to use in the future. At the awards ceremony, more than $400,000 worth of awards was given to students to encourage them to continue their scientific curiosity.
Here's how our SSA students finished:
Bogdan Racolta: Bronze Metal + $200
Joshua Sloane & Ostin Zarse: Honorable Mention + $100
Stanley Palasek: Bronze Metal + $200
Kelsey Waite: Bronze Metal + $500
For a complete listing of all awards please view the following link: http://isweep.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=75&Itemid=83
