Local Student Wins First Annual BCA SciChallenge Science Fair

River Edge resident Lev Krasnovsky was among the top five student winners in the first annual BCA SciChallenge, a science fair for middle school students residing in Bergen County.

The fair, held on Saturday, June 9 at the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, was organized by Cell Biology research students from the Academies as a way to instill a passion and appreciation for scientific research and discovery in their younger counterparts.

Fifty students from towns throughout Bergen County submitted entries, with project topics that ranged from Shock Absorption Based upon Geometric Shapes of Differing Viscosities to Minimizing Water Loss in Plants. Judges included alumni and professionals in the various fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Students presented their projects to the judges during the morning session of the fair and spent the afternoon engaged in team engineering design challenges prior to the final judging.

The BCA SciChallenge is a new affiliate of the Broadcom® Masters® National Science Fair run by the Society for Science and the Public, one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in the U.S. dedicated to public engagement in science and science education. The top 10% of the winners from the BCA SciChallenge are now eligible to apply to the Broadcom® Masters® National Competition, where they may compete for a grand prize of $25,000.00. 

Nominees enter the competition by completing an application explaining their science project and demonstrating their use of STEM principles—science, technology, engineering and math—in the development and presentation of their project. From entrants nationwide, 300 semifinalists are selected, including 30 finalists.