Frankfort students once again had a strong showing at the Lafayette Regional Science and Engineering Fair, with 60 students in grades 5-8 representing the Community Schools of Frankfort. Competing against students from a 12-county area surrounding Lafayette, Frankfort participants brought home a total of 63 awards. Frankfort Middle School was also once again recognized as the top-performing school in the Junior Division, bringing the total to 22 regional fairs where Frankfort has earned this designation.
Several Frankfort projects earned special recognition at the regional competition. Most notably, Blue Sky Carreras Lantigua’s project was named Top Overall Project in the Elementary Division, while Cristal Cruz’s project earned Runner-Up for Top Overall Project in the Junior Division. With roughly 200 projects entered in each division, these honors represent a significant level of achievement.
The regional fair also serves as a qualifying event for the Hoosier State Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held on March 28 in Indianapolis. Six Frankfort students advanced and will represent the district at the state level: Blue Sky Carreras Lantigua, Cristal Cruz, Myles Freeman, Natalie Hodgen, Ellis Shaffer, and Jarah Long (alternate). This also marks the second time Natalie Hodgen has qualified for the state competition.
The CSF High-Ability program, led by Director Bret Rhea, has built a strong legacy of success at the regional science fair. Since 2006, Frankfort students have advanced 73 projects to the statewide competition. The Community Schools of Frankfort is proud of the hard work these students put into their research each year and wishes the best of luck to the students who will be competing at the state fair later this month.