Baker Adventist Christian School science fair draws 62 young scientists

A 4-year-old’s color-mixing project helped turn Baker Adventist Christian School’s science fair into a Baker City showcase, where bubbles, fire and disappearing water drew attention alongside student work from across the region.

The Science and Engineering Fair, held April 7 at 42171 Chico Rd., brought 62 young scientists from Eastern Oregon and southeast Washington to Baker City. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was open to students in grades K through 8, with homeschoolers welcome to take part.

The fair leaned far beyond standard classroom displays. Greater Oregon STEM added a planetarium show, and the school said Mr. Hosey drew a crowd with bubbles, fire and disappearing water. Other stations featured petrified wood, cut geodes, magnetism, plant science, robotics and a Van de Graaff generator, giving families a look at the range of hands-on science being done by local children.

One of the most memorable projects came from the youngest participant, who was just 4 years old and presented on color mixing. Older students tackled more advanced topics as well, including bread-molding elements, showing how the fair stretched from early learning to more complex experimentation without losing its hands-on feel.

A remote-controlled airshow added another level of spectacle. Pilot Jim Culbertson flew airplanes and helicopters through a lively demonstration that included crashes and landings, giving the fair a public-facing energy that made it feel more like a community science festival than a narrow school event.

Judges gave positive feedback on the displays and handed out medals and certificates to participants. Baker Adventist Christian School describes itself as a Seventh-day Adventist school serving grades K-8 in Baker City and says it is part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist educational network. Laurie Hosey was listed as the contact for information.

For Baker County, the turnout showed that a small-school science fair can still draw a wide field of students and families when it mixes serious projects with a little theater, and when it gives young researchers a place to present their work in public.