Spotlight: Chelsea and Grace participated with five of their classmates in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) Club Regional (R7) Competition on Saturday, February 4 at Baldwin High School. The competition included more than 400 participants from 50+ schools, and both Chelsea and Grace scored high enough to qualify for the state competition in May at Penn State. All participants had to create a unique project that met the criteria of one of PJAS’s categories. Chelsea and Grace worked on two very different projects that both happened to meet the requirements of the Biology category. Chelsea is an avid young horsewoman and chose to examine the effects of various saddle fits on horses. Grace recruited her family members to watch a Spiderman movie while she studied how their emotions affected their heart rates. These two scientists are now awaiting direct feedback from the PJAS judges, and then will begin modifying and improving their projects for the state competition. Grace chose to participate in PJAS because she found that the topics covered in Grade 8 science were more challenging than prior years, and she hoped that this independent project would help enhance her understanding. “And it did,” she said. She also feels that she has improved her time management and research techniques by participating in PJAS. Chelsea wanted to get involved because she has always had a brain for science and thought it would be fun. Now, she feels that she has gained significantly by learning to develop her own project, do her own research, and modify the procedure based on circumstances that occurred as the project progressed. She also feels that she is a better presenter and public speaker as a result of her PJAS experience. More information about SA’s PJAS participation is available on our website.