College Science Fair Club Students Shine at Regional Science Fair

Our College students achieved outstanding success at the 2026 ESNZ Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA) South and East Auckland Science and Technology Fair, one of the region's largest and most competitive science events. With 194 projects entered from schools across South and East Auckland, this was the biggest fair in recent years.

A particularly impressive feature of our results was that our College students claimed the top project awards in three year levels. Eason Liu was recognised as the top Year 11 student and runner-up across the entire fair, Gavin Chen as the top Year 9 student, and Ethan Ye as the top Year 13 student.

The standout achievement this year belongs to Eason Liu, who was awarded second place in the Years 11-13 Senior Science category, receiving the award for Best Year 11 Innovation, Invention or Investigation, Best Use of Statistics (Senior). He was also presented the prestigious Eric Clague Award, recognising the second-highest scoring project across the entire fair. Remarkably, this is the second year in succession that a College student was awarded the Eric Clague Award, highlighting the consistently high standard of scientific research being produced by our students. Eason's award-winning project, From Prawn to Particle, explored the use of chitosan derived from waste prawn shells as a bioflocculant to remove algae particles from water, demonstrating a promising environmentally sustainable application of seafood waste.

The Science Fair Club award winners:

• Eason Liu – 2nd Place in Years 11-13 Senior Science. Three special prizes: Best Year 11 Innovation, Invention or Investigation, Best Use of Statistics (Senior) and recipient of the Eric Clague Award recognising the second best project in the entire fair.
• Ethan Ye – Highly Commended in Years 11-13 Senior Science and Best Year 13 Innovation, Invention or Investigation.
• Asher Tenenbaum – 3rd Place in Years 11-13 Senior Science.
• Gavin Chen – 1st Place in Years 9-10 Environmental Science / Planet Earth & Beyond. Two special prizes: Best Year 9 Innovation, Invention or Investigation, and Best Use of Statistics (Junior).

A notable strength across many of our College projects was the sophisticated use of statistical analysis. Saint Kentigern students took out both the Junior and Senior Best Use of Statistics Special Awards, reflecting the scientific rigour demonstrated in their investigations and the emphasis placed on collecting robust data and drawing evidence-based conclusions.

These achievements were the culmination of months of work by students involved in our College Science Fair Club, which is open to students from Years 9 to 13. These students meeting every Tuesday under the guidance of Biology Teacher Ruby Huang and Science Technician Stacey Lim, where students pursue scientific investigations as a co-curricular commitment. Their projects involve far more than simply conducting an experiment. Students spend countless hours researching, designing investigations, collecting and analysing data, and writing reports. Many dedicate weekends and school holidays to carrying out practical work at school, returning repeatedly to gather sufficient data for meaningful conclusions. Through multiple rounds of feedback, rewriting and refinement, students learn first-hand that high-quality scientific research requires perseverance, resilience and attention to detail.

A Strong Foundation for Year 7s

As part of a dedicated five-week Science Fair unit within the Year 7 curriculum, all Year 7 students undertake their own scientific investigation and present their findings at the annual Saint Kentigern Year 7 Science Fair. This programme introduces students to experimental design, data collection, analysis and scientific communication, providing an excellent foundation for future participation in the Science Fair Club and regional competitions.

Year 7 award winners:

• Elijah Walker – 1st Place in Years 7-8 Environmental Science / Planet Earth & Beyond
• Emily Zhang – 2nd Place in Years 7-8 Environmental Science / Planet Earth & Beyond
• Cameron Gillies – Highly Commended in Years 7-8 Living World

Perhaps the greatest measure of success comes from the growth students experience throughout the process. As one parent reflected, beyond the awards themselves, the Science Fair provided an invaluable journey through experimentation, data collection, analysis, research and scientific reporting, helping students develop a deeper understanding of science while building a strong foundation for future study.

Congratulations to all students who represented the College with such distinction.