Elementary, middle, and high school students from across Martin County showcased their ingenuity and passion for STEM in the 2024-2025 Martin County Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Their hard work and innovative ideas were celebrated during a special awards ceremony at Martin County High School on February 19, 2025. The evening, hosted by WPTV Chief Meteorologist Steve Weagle, honored the outstanding achievements of these young scientists and engineers as they were recognized for their exceptional projects.
Students were awarded for their science or engineering projects in categories such as Plant Sciences, Robotics, Environmental Sciences, Systems Software and more. On the junior-level, scientists were awarded from the three divisions—Class, Team, and Individual—as well as the overall best Individual, Team, and Class projects, and the 2025 Best Performing School.
Secondary-level participants also competed for specialty awards, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award, the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award, and the NASA Earth System Science Award, just to name a few. More than $600 in prizes were awarded to students who competed in the specialty categories.
More than 200 students from 70 classes participated in this year’s Martin County District Elementary STEM Fair. Each participant received a gift certificate to The Scoop and Crumbl Cookies. Congratulations to the following students and schools who earned Special Awards:
Overall Best Class Score: ‘Bean There Done That,’ Ms. Morris Grade 3, Palm City Elementary School
Overall Best Team Score: ‘Oops! I Spilled My Drink,’ Monica Simkins & Kaia Typner, Felix A. Williams Elementary School
Overall Best Individual Score: ‘To Tide or Not to Tide,’ Keeley Terhune, Jensen Beach Elementary School
Best Performing School: Jensen Beach Elementary School
Nearly 80 projects were submitted in the secondary competition. Thirteen Martin County School District secondary students earned a spot at the State Finals.
Congratulations to the following nominees:
Junior Division:
Kaylee Schoverling, Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School– ‘Fight of Flooding’
Brian Wang, Hidden Oaks Middle School– ‘Where are you, Vitamin C?’
Sigurd Sanchez, Hidden Oaks Middle School– ‘Visualizing Sound’
Kyle Gomez and Aidan Greene, Hidden Oaks Middle School– ‘Best Band for Your Buck’
Kerstin Ward, Murray Middle School– ‘Can Google Teachable Machine Recognize AI Generated Photographs?’
Madeline Tuma, Hidden Oaks Middle School– ‘Is Less More?’
Senior Division:
Nina Goyal, Martin County High School– ‘Bioenhancers to Improve Pest Control’
Isabelle Calhoun, Martin County High School– ‘The Role of Hormones in Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome’
Varun Singh, South Fork High School– ‘Leveraging AI and Wi-Fi Sensing for Early Detection and Intervention of Fall-Related Injuries’
Aria Kaul, South Fork High School– ‘Analysis of Tardigrade Survival Rates After Exposure to UV Light Radiation for Multiple Time Intervals’
Aahan Asthana, South Fork High School– ‘Seasonal Nutrient Influx Variability on Algal Accumulation and Ecosystem Dynamics’
Madeline Parr, Jensen Beach High School– 'Defining the role of Slc23a3 in Th17 Cell Heme Uptake'
Congratulations to all the Martin County School District scientists and engineers who participated in the Martin County Regional Science and Engineering Fair!
To view the full list of winners of the elementary science and engineering fair, click here.
To view the full list of winners of the secondary science and engineering fair, click here.
The 2024-2025 Martin County Regional Science and Engineering Fair was sponsored by the Education Foundation of Martin County. The EFMC was instrumental in the preparation and celebration of our wonderful Martin County Scientists and Engineers.
Ahead of the award ceremonies, the Martin County School District hosted its STEM Fair Showcase, inviting families and the community to explore the unique projects. Watch a recap of the event: