The 40th annual Elko County Science Fair, a regional affiliate of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, was held March 7 - 10, 2022.
In 1982 students in the Gifted and Talented program, under the direction of Diane Hecht, competed in the Washoe County Regional Science Fair. Diane returned and established the Elko County Science Fair. From its modest beginnings in 1983 to the present day. In 2019 we expanded our fair and changed our name to ELKO County STEM Fair and our goal is to create interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education and STEM careers, foster school-community cooperation in developing the scientific potential and communication skills of tomorrow’s leaders, and to publicly recognize the achievements of talented science students, grades K-12.
Our fair has been gifted with tremendous support from the community, Elko County School District Board of Trustees, administration, teachers, and, of course, students' parents.
Many of the winners of past fairs have gone on to post-doctorate degrees. These include at least two doctors, a pharmacist, University professors, and science teachers. One former grand prize winner applied for and was accepted to NASA. While this individual ended up choosing another career path, the fact that one of our own arrived at that pinnacle of achievement says a great deal about education in Elko County. It makes us pause and consider; what will this year's winners from the 1st grade be doing 30 years from now?
