On Friday, January 16, 2026, winning projects entered into the district’s 2026 Science and Engineering Fair were on display for the public in the Auxiliary Gym at Beach High School. The Public Showcase featured 89 entries from Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools from the Elementary through Senior Grade Levels.  Those 89 winning projects were selected for awards from more than 200 entered from over 30 schools in the districtwide competition. The projects were judged by more than 100 business and community partners.

The showcase featured creativity, critical thinking, and STEAM excellence across our district.  At the Awards Ceremony following the Showcase, awards were given to the top three projects for each category in the Elementary, Junior, and Senior Divisions. It was also revealed which projects qualified to advance to State competition in the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair(GSEF) in the Elementary Division and who will be moving on to the Regional Science and Engineering Fair (RSEF), hosted at Savannah State University, in the Junior and Senior Divisions. Projects can qualify to move on even if they did not place in our district Fair. See the complete list of winners below.

ELEMENTARY LEVEL:

Category: Animal Sciences

Brayden Jedinak – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Early Bird Vs. Sleepy Bird - 1^st Place

Farrah Pfeiffer, Conley Smith, & Karoline Koziowski - Are Monarchs Attracted to Magnetic Fields - 2^nd Place - Advances to GSEF

Category: Biochemistry

Taylor Henry – Isle of Hope K-8 – Why Does My Apple Turn Brown? – 1^st Place

Category: Biomedical & Health Sciences

Walker Deloach – Marshpoint Elementary - Ultraviolet Verdict: Which Sunscreen Shields Best? – 1^st Place - Advances to GSEF

Paris Sanders – Heard Elementary - Milk, Which One Does the Body Good? – 2^nd Place - Advances to GSEF

Luna Ward – Marshpoint Elementary - Comparing the Corrosive Effects of Soda, Juice, Coffee, & Water on Tooth Substitutes – 3^rd Place

Category: Chemistry

Fable Schwartzburt – Heard Elementary - Sticky Situation – 1^st Place - Advances to GSEF

Owen Deloach – Marshpoint Elementary - Sudsational: An Experiment of Detergent Effectiveness – 2^nd  Place - Advances to GSEF

Ferris Longsdorf – Heard Elementary - Freezing Liquids the Ultimate Test – 3^rd Place

Category: Earth & Environmental Sciences

Owen McNamara – Garrison School for the Arts – Understanding Erosion: Which type of soil is better for preventing erosion – 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Kenny Wall & Leo Hanno – Tybee Island Maritime Academy - Gas, Electric, Diesel:  Which Car is Best for the Environment? – 2^nd Place – Advances to GSEF

Lynnea Waiters – Heard Elementary - Hot or Cold, Which Ocean is Better? – 3^rd Place

Category: Energy: Sustainable Materials & Design

Shraddha Chintapalli – Godley Station K-8 – Windmill Blade Challenge – 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Smera Balwan – Godley Station K-8 – Heat Heroes – 2^nd Place – Advances to GSEF

Calder Meyer – Godley Station K-8 – Potato Power! – 3^rd Place

Category: Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics (Engineering Mechanics)

Emerson Jones, Brooks Bartlam, Connor Martin – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Truss Vs. Beam Strength Test  - 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Olivia Amador – May Howard Elementary – Karting with Control – 2^nd Place - Advances to GSEF

Category: Environmental Engineering

Jameson Reid – Garden City Elementary – Mulch Moisture Madness – 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Breccan Still – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – What are microplastics and how can we remove them? – 2^nd Place

Kinzley Stokes – Garden City Elementary – Kitchen Clear Out – 3^rd Place

Category: Materials Science

Emmet Boaen – May Howard Elementary – What Color Do You See? – 1^st Place

Beckham Buttimer, Bryce Cornelius, & Oliver Gallucci – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Biodegradable Straws – 2^nd Place – Advances to GSEF

Milo Carr – Garrison School for the Arts – Gummy Bear Osmosis – 3^rd Place – Advances to GSEF

Category: Mathematics

Nolan Ihrig – Heard Elementary – Angling for Successful Shots – 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Category: Microbiology

Rriyyan Peoples – Windsor Forest Elementary – Classroom Germs Challenge: Who Wins? – 1^st Place

Category: Physics & Astronomy

Eli Acors & Thomas Woodhouse – May Howard Elementary – The Fruit Duel – 1^st Place – Advances to GSEF

Carolyn Jedinak – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – How Slow Can it Go? Why are Conditioner Bottles Made to be Upside Down? – 2^ndPlace

Lola Watson – May Howard Elementary – Let’s Kick It!  - 3^rd Place – Advances to GSEF

Category: Plant Sciences

Dallas Raven, Saabra Diop, & Raven Roberts – Windsor Forest Elementary – Testing Plant Survival the Tybee Island Way - 1^st Place

Samantha Mills & Annica Dollar – Marshpoint  Elementary – Hydroponic Hunger: Do Plants Need Nutrients to Thrive? - 2^nd Place – Advances to GSEF

Henry Moore – Tybee Island Maritime Academy –  Does Music Effect Plant Growth? - 3^rd Place – Advances to GSEF

Category: Robotics & Intelligent Machines

Everett Ross & Selena Heyward - Rice Creek School - The Turtles - 1st Place

Ason Murray & Brandon Perkins - Bloomingdale Elementary -  Computer Coding Wheel Size - 2nd Place

Thomas Shoenbeck & Trenton Shoenbeck - Rice Creek School - The Coral Dragons - 3rd Place

JUNIOR LEVEL COMPETITION:

Category: Animal Sciences

Allison Kesterson – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Lights out for Bugs? Exploring How Outdoor Bulbs Affect Insect Attraction – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Jackson Lino & William Salter – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – How Can We Replicate a Mud Minnow’s Habitat? – Advances to RSEF

Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences

Greg Harmon & Gabriel Gitau – Pulaski K-8 – Blazepods and Reaction Time – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Righteous Tangie – Hubert Middle School – Framing Intelligence: Perception Through Terminology – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Biochemistry

Claire Pounders – STEM Academy at Bartlett – How does the type of acid used when making casein plastic affect it’s rate of biodegradation? – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Liliana Bernal – STEM Academy at Bartlett – How do Natural Fertilizers Affect the Way a Plant Grows? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Aria Reimer – STEM Academy at Bartlett – The Effect of Fiber Content in Flour on Water Absorption – 3^rd Place

Category: Biomedical & Health Sciences

Kamylah Lindsey – Pulaski K-8 - Beauty and Bacteria: How dirty are your brushes? – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Cellular & Molecular Biology

Addison Padgett – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Does a higher concentration of microplastics in irrigation water affect the growth of Bermuda grass over a three week span? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Liam Stuart – STEM Academy at Bartlett – How can different types of carbonated beverages affect the physical appearance and structure of steak? – 3^rd Place

Category: Chemistry

Nahla Akpeti – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Which Liquids would make rust grow faster on nails? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Kennedi  Eason – Godley Station K-8 – Going Bananas! – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Earth & Environmental Sciences

Nahyan Ahmed – Godley Station K-8 – Can Hair Help Save the Environment? – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Ryn Hendren & Eli Hendren – Tybee Island Maritime – How does the location and distance from the tide line affect the height of sea oats? – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Crawford Daniel, Dominic Petit, & Aaron Huang – Tybee Island Maritime – Shrimp with Black Gill

Category: Embedded Systems

Alainah Hicks – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – How does changing electrical resistance affect the efficiency of a battery? – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Energy: Sustainable Materials & Design

Stella Mott – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Sponge Cities: Soaking Up Floodwater – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Adele Murray – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Comparing cat litter for odor control, absorption, clumping, and environmental impact. – Advances to RSEF

Category: Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics (Engineering Mechanics)

Aarav Dharmaraj – STEM Academy at Bartlett – The Blade Runner: the quest for turbine efficiency – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Wyatt Hamilton & Josiah Rogers – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Can we improve the design of a francis turbine? – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Environmental Engineering

Hanna Claire Bennett – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Does the slope of a coastline affect the extent of storm surge? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Qing Lu Chen – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Evaluating Biomimicry Inspired Cooling Strategies with Passive Building Design – Advances to RSEF

Category: Materials Science

Colin Senger, Harold Mathews, Caden Davis – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – Different Cooling Methods Change Performance – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Lundyn Brown – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Which Brand of Paper Town is Most Absorbent Before Oversaturation? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Mathematics

Connor McCorkle – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Finding Exoplanets – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Microbiology

Emilia Mackowiack – STEM Academy at Bartlett – How does acid rain affect the cellular structure of grass – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Celia Adams, Claire Connelly, & Avery Toole – The Germy Truth Behind Nail Biting – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Physics & Astronomy

Daniel Korneyenko – STEM Academy at Bartlett – The Effects of Ground Covers on Runoff and Erosion – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Dominic Strazzella – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – The Roller Coaster Launch – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Aaron Risner – Coastal Middle School – How does the Temperature of a Tennis Ball Affect How High it Bounces – 3^rd Place

Category: Plant Sciences

Amayra Jaglan – Godley Station K-8 – Georgia Garden Showdown – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Cecelia Swope, Elliott Clackum, & Sean Wilder – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – How do different light frequencies affect Vitamin C in oranges? – 2nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Asliyah Smith – Tybee Island Maritime Academy – How does Light Color Affect the Growth Rate of Algae? - 3^rd Place

Category: Robotics & Intelligent Machines

Alexandra Keel – STEM Academy at Bartlett – Lego Robotics Color Sensors Compared to VEX Robotics Color Sensors – Advances to RSEF

SENIOR LEVEL COMPETITION:

Category: Animal Sciences

Emma Bliss – Islands High School – Blue Crab Bait Wars – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Mia Whitmore & Avery Ramsey – Islands High School – Acidification of Marine Invertebrates – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences

Niasia Jackson – New Hampstead High School – Stick to Focus: The Impact of Chewing Gum to the Brain – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Cellular & Molecular Biology

Walter Yang – Savannah Arts Academy – Inducing Accelerated Antimicrobial Resistance in Non-Pathogenic Bacteria – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Chemistry

Khilee Johnson & Treajure Simmons – Groves High School – Corrosion Rates of Metals in Various Environments  - 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Earth & Environmental Sciences

Shrila Patel, Nicolle Eady, & Abigayle Cook – School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High - Small Bits; Big Waves- 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Ada-Katherine Sasser – Islands High School – Effect of Suncreen on Aquatic Organisms-Lotion Commotion in the Ocean – Advances to RSEF

Category: Energy: Sustainable Materials & Design

Jun Hao Lin, Donovan Burns, & Ishant Sings – Jenkins High School – REST (Regenerative Energy Suspension Tire) – 2^nd Place  - Advances to RSEF

Andrew Davis & Michael Cooler – Islands High School – Insulation & Sustainability – 3^rd Place  - Advances to RSEF

Category: Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics (Engineering Mechanics)

Madilynn Hagemes – Savannah Arts Academy – How does Prolonged Exposure to Hot Water Influence the Release of Chemical Contaminants from Different Residential Plumbing Pipe Materials into Drinking Water? – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Environmental Engineering

Suceli Perez Lopez, Jazmine Brown, & Noe Mateos – Beach High School – Spanish Moss as an Additive or Alternative Material for Recycled Paper Production – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Siddartha Sarakadam – Jenkins High School – Space Junk – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

Category: Materials Science

Tanish Patel – Islands High School – Effect of different housing materials on sound decibels – 3^rd Place – Advances to RSEF

GuMin Wells  - SCELA – Keeping the Heat in! – Advances to RSEF

Category: Microbiology

Eli Dixon – Islands High School – Itty Bitty Life in water-Bacteria in Water – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Zeycan Agbas – Islands High School – Natural Alternatives to Killing Bacteria – Advances to RSEF

Category: Robotics & Intelligent Machines

Emeline Giordano & Alexis Mincey – Islands High School – Can A.I. Spot A.I.? – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF

Zion Steele – School of Liberal Studies at Savannah High – Efficiency of School Tour Guide Robot Performance: Manual vs. Automated Navigation – 2^nd Place – Advances to RSEF

Isaac Bernal & Thomas Giovanni – Islands High School – A.I. for Sports – 3^rd Place

Category: Translational Medical Sciences

Tallulah Pair – Savannah Arts Academy – Testing the Acid-Ash Hypothesis: Exploring the Impact of Protein on Bone Strength – 1^st Place – Advances to RSEF