For months, several students have been experimenting, collecting data, and writing speeches in the hopes of succeeding in the SHS Science Fair, which will take place on Jan. 11.

“At first my partner and I were just doing it to get it done, so it would look good on college applications. But once we started working on it, it turned out to be really fun,” said Wendy Lu, 10, a first time participant in the Science Fair.

All of their work will be rewarded or will come to an end based on their rating; a superior rating means the project will move on to the district level at the University of Cincinnati Science and Engineering Expo (UC SEE), while an excellent rating or lower will deny them the chance of moving on.

UC SEE will be the first level at which awards are available, and a superior at this level advance a project to the state level, where more awards can be earned.

These awards come in the form of cash prizes and scholarships. Last year, of the 22 projects entered, four advanced to state and all four won some form of award. This year, there are more entrants, and they hope to succeed as well.

“Right now we are still in the process of analyzing data, but I think it will really come together and we will do well,” said Lu.