North Haven Student Receives Awards At Statewide Competitions

NORTH HAVEN, CT — (Contributed): Pierson Clark, a North Haven resident and seventh-grade student at Slate School, recently received awards at both the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair and the Connecticut Invention Convention.

At the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair, a charter member of the national International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), Clark won second place in Life Sciences at the statewide Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.

His research project, "Petri Dish Experiments Exploring Bacteria Growth in Soil Samples With and Without Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria," was additionally a finalist for the Alexion Biotechnology Awards and a CSF Medallion winner in Biotechnology.

Clark’s project measured and compared the bacteria growth in unplanted soil, soil with sprouted pea plants, lawn soil, and vetch soil. After a round of preliminary judging by the CT Science & Engineering Fair judges, he was invited to be a finalist at the statewide Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair at Quinnipiac University.

More than 12,000 students in Connecticut and several bordering New York state towns competed for the 600 spaces at the state finals.

Clark presented his project to 10 judges and industry sponsors, and he was recognized with awards at the State Award Ceremony. He received $150, a trophy, and several medals.

The Connecticut Invention Convention State Finals were held on May 3 at University of Connecticut, and Clark was honored with the Connecticut Fire Marshals Award for his Child Safe HotLock invention.

Nearly 10,000 K-12 students in schools throughout Connecticut created their own inventions this academic year, and 4.5 percent were invited to the State Finals of the Connecticut Invention Convention.

After a round of judging at UConn, Clark’s project was selected for the Connecticut Fire Marshal Association's award for his "invention of an innovative solution in the field of fire and home safety."

His invention seeks to prevent scald burns in young children, which is a problem that he researched extensively.

The Child Safe HotLock "locks the hot water faucet for children ages 0-3, but makes it easy for adults to still use the faucet with a simple click."

The State of Connecticut Fire Marshal's Association invited Clark to attend a breakfast in June in honor of his winning invention.

“At Slate School, our students are always engaged in curiosity-driven learning throughout our interdisciplinary curriculum,” Jennifer Staple-Clark, founder and executive director of Slate School, said. “The Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair and the Connecticut Invention Convention are enriching programs that offer students an incredible opportunity to delve into their interests through experimental design, share their findings with experts in the field, and learn from peers and experts.”