Ashland University to host 61st annual Mohican District Science Day on March 26

ASHLAND, Ohio – A total of 132 students from 16 area schools are expected to converge on the Ashland University campus Saturday, March 26, for the 61st annual Mohican District Science Day. Sponsored by the Mohican District Junior Division of the Ohio Academy of Science, the event will be held at AU’s John C. Myers Convocation Center.

According to Jeff Weidenhamer, the Science Day director and a professor of chemistry at AU, the students participating will represent high schools, junior high/middle schools and fifth and sixth grades in eight different counties: Ashland, Erie, Holmes, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Richland and Wayne. This marks the first year for an in-person science fair since 2019, as the 2020 and 2021 science fairs were held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic has had a major impact on science education and the number of science fairs held in local schools is not yet back to where it was prior to the pandemic. So, we are very pleased to have 122 project submissions this year and a large number of participating schools,” said Weidenhamer. “Students do hands-on experiments, collect and analyze data and draw conclusions, rather than just reading and reporting what someone else has done. Many projects are original and creative.”

The public is invited to view the science projects from 12:30-2 p.m. Registration for the day begins at 7:30 a.m., with judging to start at 9 a.m. Awards will be presented during a public ceremony at 2 p.m. Masks will be required of participants, judges and the public at the event.

The top projects at the district level from students in grades 5-12 will be eligible to advance to the state competition, which will be conducted virtually by the Ohio Academy of Sciences.

Weidenhamer said this year’s event will include approximately 40-50 local judges and volunteers from education, industry, business and medical professions. “We cannot do this event without the help of all of our volunteers and the facilities and the support provided by Ashland University,” he noted.

Weidenhamer thanked Jeff Steele, president of the Mohican District Council, for his assistance in the administration of the science fair, as well as all the council members and volunteers who work countless hours in a variety of capacities prior to and throughout the day to ensure the success of the annual event.

He also stressed that “this event would not be a successful and rewarding experience for our local students without the hard work and commitment of science teachers and the support of their school districts in fostering increased science, technology, engineering and mathematics literacy.”

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.