Henry Honeycutt and Colin Sullivan, both eighth-grade students at Polo Park Middle School, were chosen to compete at Florida’s State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF).
Sullivan earned the fourth-place award in the chemistry category for his experiment titled “Explosive Sweets.” Sullivan’s experiment was designed to test the explosive potential of sugar particles, as many small particles, under the right conditions, can become explosive.
Created in 1957, the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists is a statewide nonprofit organization tasked with encouraging future scientists to pursue STEM careers. One of the ways this is accomplished is by conducting the State Science and Engineering Fair, which took place from April 2 through April 4 this year.
The journey to this competition is a long one. Florida students must design and conduct an experiment according to specific protocols, document their results and present those results to judges at their school.
Winners at the school level then proceed to the Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Regional winners are then selected to represent their schools and Palm Beach County at the statewide event.
“The SSEF was very well-organized, and everyone was very kind and accommodating. I enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to other students about their projects and would encourage future students to participate because the opportunity could lead to other positive things,” Sullivan said.
