Sumner High students compete at White House Science Fair
May 27, 2014, 6:42 AM | Updated: 9:38 am
Celine Patrick (6th from right) and Ashlee Tarro (7th from right) are both members of the Future Farmers of America Club (FFA) at Sumner High School. Their project this year caught the attention of the White House, securing them an invitation to the annual science fair. (Photo by Ashlee Tarro)
(Photo by Ashlee Tarro)
On Tuesday, the White House will be filled with robots and other creations by high school students from around the country.
Students from around the country are descending on Washington, D.C. for the annual science fair. And this year, the president is honoring girls excelling in science technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Two of those girls are sophomores from Sumner High School.
“I’m really nervous because I’ve never been to Washington, D.C. before,” says Celine Patrick.
“It’s crazy. We had no idea it could even go this far. We were excited to compete in the state level and then are able to go to Washington, D.C. and it’s really exciting, it’s just really a blessing,” says Ashlee Tarro.
Both girls are members of the Future Farmers of America Club (FFA) and their project this year caught the attention of the White House, securing them an invitation to the annual science fair.
“Some aphids in our greenhouse […] were eating away our plants. We were looking at the best method to eliminate the aphids in the greenhouse,” explains Patrick.
“We had three different methods that we used: The first one was ‘safer soap.’ It’s not a chemical because we’re not allowed to have chemicals at our school. We just spray it on the plant and it’s supposed to eliminate the aphids. Then we just had free-roaming ladybugs so we just placed ladybugs on the plant. Then we did a net over the top of one plant and stapled it and trapped ladybugs in there so their only source of food was the aphids. The confined ladybugs were the most effective method.”
Patrick and Tarro are two of many girls who will be celebrated at the White House for their innovation in STEM.
“A lot of girls have become part of the membership for FFA and their numbers are growing even more – so it’s kind of good being a girl and seeing we are stepping up in the future of agriculture,” says Patrick.
The White House is touting its “Race to the Top” competition in conjunction with the science fair. It’s a $4.35 billion investment in states that can demonstrate efforts to close the STEM gap for girls and other minority groups.
“I think that girls need to know that they can go far,” says Tarro. “It’s not just men in the agriculture industry and I think it’s really motivational.”
