MBC sponsor SSVEC has sponsored The Youth Engineering and Science (YES) Fair for over 20 years. Pictured above are YES Fair winners from 2020.
One student explored the possibility of life on other planets.
Another studied the effectiveness of wearing a mask to stop the spread of a virus.
Others researched plant nutrition, the states of matter, solar panels, and bacteria.
Motivated by a pure desire to learn, students participating in the 38th annual Youth, Engineering, and Science (YES) Fair not only satisfy their desire to understand a topic of interest, they compete for more than $20,000 in cash awards and the opportunity for an all-expenses paid trip to an international science fair.
The YES Fair happens every February and is sponsored by the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) Foundation. It is one of three youth programs aimed at encouraging and empowering students to excel and succeed in today’s world. Marcus Harston, Community Relations and Youth Program Coordinator for SSVEC, manages all three programs, including the YES Fair, the Washington Youth Tour and a scholarship program that annually awards more than $100,000 to further the education of area students.
“The YES Fair encourages students from Grades 5 through 12 to cultivate their interest in science and engineering, which helps each participant succeed and help build a better America,” Harston said.
Former YES Fair winner pictured with his project display, “What’s The Fizz?”.
Harston said SSVEC will again sponsor the Mat Bevel Company for its educational program, The Universe Within, which encourages students to think, discover, invent, and research, various science-related topics.
“We support programs like The Universe Within because it provides activities and opportunities for our rural youth and families to open up new directions for their education, career and life,” Harston said.
Both The Universe Within and the YES Fair help students learn about area, circumference, volume, matter, energy and natural forces. Students participating in the YES Fair have an opportunity to display their research and present answers to specific science questions of interest. Past projects for students in 5th through 8th grades have featured hands-on experiments and interesting conclusions in five distinct areas of study, including Energy and Engineering, Technology, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science and Biological Science.
Projects presented by high school students are defined by the 21 categories set forth by the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. In addition to cash prizes, the top high school winners in the SSVEC Foundation YES Fair are awarded an all-expenses paid trip to present their projects at the Intel fair, scheduled for May 8th through May 13th in Atlanta, Georgia.
Hundreds of students in Southeastern Arizona look forward to creating science projects for the annual YES Fair. Many of those who have participated have gone on to have successful careers in science, technology and engineering as doctors, teachers, soldiers, and farmers.
A teacher and her student, a 2019 YES Fair winner, pictured with Mr. Marcus Harston, Community Relations & Youth Program Coordinator for SSVEC.
High School projects will be set up at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The actual awards ceremony will be held at Windemere Hotel and Conference Center on Thursday, February 24, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Virtual judging for 5th through 8th grades is February 15th through February 22nd, and awards will be announced February 23rd, winners are invited to the awards ceremony.
Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC), which oversees the SSVEC Foundation, is a not-for-profit, member-owned distribution cooperative providing electricity to more than 60,000 services over some 4,100 miles of energized line. The cooperative’s service territory covers parts of Cochise, Graham, Pima and Santa Cruz counties in Southern Arizona. SSVEC is dedicated to community growth, quality of life and a positive vision for the future.