(Bob Schneider/CHAT News)

By Adrian St.Onge

Medicine Hat’s STEM program produces science fair winner

Jan 30, 2024 | 7:11 PM

The Medicine Hat School Division has highlighted their STEM projects heavily in recent months.

The STEM initiatives focuses on students who have interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and helps students pursue opportunities.

Katelynn Standell, from Crescent Heights High School, is the latest in a string of success stories after she placed second in the Canada Wide Science Fair.

Standell, a 10th grade student, spent a week in Edmonton to present her research.

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“It’s so encouraging, especially coming from here where you don’t always have the biggest STEM community around you going there and seeing all the like-minded people.” Standell said.

“I didn’t know any of them before, and probably didn’t meet everyone, but leaving, I found a community there.”

“We weren’t in the same grade, or the same province or even speak the same language, but we all loved STEM and we were able to make friends because of that.”

Standell did her research and later got a job at Hyperion Research in Medicine Hat.

Dr. Peter Wallis has mentored STEM students over the years, and says that Standell’s research was demanding, but that science fairs and STEM initiatives represent more opportunity.

“I’m hoping we can encourage them, not only to be scientists or technicians or something in the technical field that relates to STEM.” Dr. Wallis said.

“I hope they can learn to be businesspeople so they have some idea on how they can start this on their own so that they can be their own boss some day, if they really wanted to.”

The program initiatives were put in place in 2022 after the school division received feedback from parents expressing interest.

Corey Sadlemyer, the associate superintendent of learning for the Medicine Hat Public School Division, says that they’ve partnered with other school divisions, namely the Lethbridge school division, to come up with other initiatives to bring the STEM community together.

“Something we’re looking at is the STEM Olympics.” Sadlemyer said.

“They have science fairs, Science Olympics, and now they want to do a STEM Olympics where we have a common project across the south zone that they can be a part of and join” he continued.

“It isn’t something that has happened yet, but I know they’re in the planning stages of that and we’re looking to support that as well.”

The school board is hoping to expand the STEM program next year to include fine arts.

As for Standell, she is currently working on her next science fair project, where she’s researching to find if prescription antidepressants have an effect on antibiotic efficiency.

“I think in the terms of STEM, it can seem kind of scary and unapproachable sometimes.” Standell said.

“Some people might think they don’t want to be part of it, but you just have to try. It’s amazing that once you get into it, the community you can find and how supportive everyone is. It’s amazing.” she said.

“You don’t have to be the same age or from the same grade or anything like that, you really just meet people you like. I have friends that are in university right now, and it doesn’t matter because we all have common interests.”