Four BRVGS students at William Monroe High School in Greene County have been named semifinalists in the Young Naturalist Awards, a nationwide contest sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Young Naturalist Project, an inquiry-based assignment, for which students pose a question about the natural world around them, design and conduct an experiment, and seek an answer to their question. This year’s recipients and their projects are: Maria Wright: "The Ground Ate My Homework," Lindsay Knights: "The Grass is Always Greener in Central Virginia: Testing Grass Seed Types in Red Clay Soil," Grace Talley: "Which Grass is Best for My Yard," and Isaac McSherry: “The Effect of Lights on the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.”
“...Out of thousands of applicants, we have semifinalists, which is very impressive from our little county. This project requires a lot of independent initiative, critical thinking, and a desire to know," said BRVGS AP Biology teacher Kirsten Dexter.
Museum communications assert that teachers who incorporate the awards program into their science curriculums “provide students with something beyond a science experiment by fostering in them a sense of stewardship for the natural world, and by giving them a taste of what it is like to answer questions using science. This use of science can help support students' interest in a broad array of STEM oriented careers including careers that help kids make the world a better place.”
The competition is sponsored to create a partnership between schools and institutions of science for the purpose of promoting learning and excitement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Congratulations to Maria, Lindsay, Grace and Isaac on their hard work and recognition!