It started when Mason Mazolla of Ventura had an earache. The 16 year old high school student went to a doctor to get it checked. It got him thinking, and led him to turn his experience into a science experiment. Now, that experiment is one of more than 500 at the 2019 Ventura County Science Fair.
It keeps alive the decades old concept of using an annual event to help get kids curious, and excited about science.
The experiments can range from relatively simple, like a look at what dogs like better, wet food or dry food, to much more complex ones.
Science Fair Coordinator John Tarkany says this year’s fair also features an event designed to give the hundreds of participating middle and high school students a taste of science careers. It’s a STEM conference put on by California Lutheran University to give students an overview of careers in science and technology.
Some 120 people from the science and technology fields will judge the entries, with about 75 winners going on to the state science fair.