An extracurricular program at Charles D. Owen High School (OHS) is growing in popularity, and gaining state level recognition.
The group of 31 students are part of the Army Educational Outreach Program where young scientists participate in independent research contests. In 2022 the organization only had a total of six members, and this school year that number has quadrupled in size. Students with the guidance of Assistant Principal Dr. Coleman Bailey met afterschool on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
This year OHS submitted 21 projects, 13 of those won at regionals where they advanced to the state level in three different categories.
“As a thirty year veteran science teacher that decided to become an administrator rather than retire it is very rewarding to have students come to the media center on Saturdays to work without getting a class grade for it,” Dr. Bailey said. “We had five projects that will represent North Carolina in the National and International Science Competitions.”
Senior Riley Johnson won the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) category where he went on to compete at the National NJHS last month in Norfolk, VA. Riley received the grand prize, where he advances to represent North Carolina as well as the United States at the International Science and Engineering Fair May 12-17, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. This is the second year Riley has competed at this level of the competition.
Three other OHS projects will represent North Carolina along with the United States at the International Genius Olympiad June 12-18, 2023 in New York. The students competing in that competition are as follows: Riley Johnson, Tad Sloan-Westmoreland, Wilson Davis, Abraham McTeague-Pospishil, and Logan Dash.
“The projects this year varied drastically from one another,” Dr. Bailey explained. “We had a group design a filter to remove harmful chemicals from water drainage at an industrial fire. Others were centered around the trout of Western North Carolina, a computer program to determine the amount of Kudzu in an area, an automated greenhouse, and a rescue ladder that can sustain high winds. I never know what direction my students will take us when they start these projects. It is fun to watch them grow and learn.”