Colin Sullivan, a Polo Park Middle School student, competed in the State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) with his science fair project. He earned the fourth-place award in the chemistry category for his experiment titled “Explosive Sweets.” Sullivan’s project focused on testing the explosive potential of sugar particles when subject to certain conditions that can cause them to explode.
Together with Henry Honeycutt, another eighth-grade student from Polo Park Middle School, Sullivan had the opportunity to compete at the SSEF. The fair is organized by the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists, a nonprofit that aims to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields. The event took place from April 2 through April 4 this year.
In order to qualify for the SSEF, Florida students must follow specific protocols when designing, conducting, and documenting their experiments as well as presenting their results to judges at their school. Winners at the school level then advance to compete at the Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair where regional winners represent their schools and Palm Beach County at the SSEF.
Sullivan expressed gratitude for the well-organized SSEF and the kindness and accommodations of everyone involved. He enjoyed interacting with other students and their projects and encouraged future students to participate in the fair as it could lead to positive opportunities.