MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Condor Elementary School students put their creativity on display during their annual science fair, while the Combat Center Marines put the kids’ logic to the test.
“The kids were given about two months to put together their experiment,” said Tabitha Harrington, science fair coordinator and physical education teacher. “There were some guidelines, but they could really use their imaginations.”
Children in the K-2nd grade category brought in various collections. Rocks, license plates and souvenir smashed pennies were a few of the collections on display.
“The older students made projects that used the scientific method,” Harrington said. Anthony Tarver and Cody Harrington, both age 11, won 1st place for the 4th-6th grade category.
Anthony’s project questioned if “green” laundry detergent is really better for the environment.
Guest science fair judge Gunnery Sgt. Patrick Crow, chief instructor, Company A, Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School, made a special note of the projects that dealt with today’s environmental issues.
“I was impressed by the ability of the kids to follow the instructions that they got and come up with some unique ideas that are applied to today’s society,” he said.
Cody’s project tested the performance of ink pens in different temperatures.
“They showed good effort and ingenuity. It was nice to see their intellectual curiosity on display,” said Lt. Col Timothy G. Burton, commanding officer, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3, and another of the guest judges. “I thought the scientific method that was used on some of the projects would hold up well to critical analysis.”
During the open house night of the fair, a couple of Combat Center units showed the kids what science can do and how the basics they learn early can transform into something that saves lives. Kids and their families checked out bomb-detonating robots and an unmanned aerial vehicle.
“Displays like this and the science fair are great for the kids because you never know if it will spark an interest for their future,” said Gunnery Sgt. Eric J. Gonzalez, operations chief, Explosive Ordnance Disposal.