North Atlanta is one of the only schools in Atlanta Public Schools that requires their students to participate in the science fair. Experiments gone wrong, last-minute shopping for trifolds, and the opportunity to do the science fair digitally have all contributed to the stress and anxiety that the months-long project brings. This has led to many students questioning whether the science fair is actually worth the amount of effort they have to put in, especially if they aren’t interested in science.
This year, the contenders chosen to advance past the school-wide science fair have been limited to one student per teacher. This change allows peers to vote for each other, but also makes the competition more fierce than in previous years. Teachers are working even harder, as opposed to last year where they picked one student from every class. Ms. Jessica Snead, honors and IB biology teacher, appreciates that students are able to have a say in who “wins” the science fair this year. “Because my students also get to pick who goes forward in the science fair, I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It’s hard to pick just one student out of hundreds!,” Ms. Snead said.
For most of the NAHS students, of course they are going to say that the science fair shouldn’t be a requirement. This isn’t because they want less work. Students are now saying that the science fair is an unreasonable contributor to stress, along with grades, sports, and other activities and commitments. Sophomore James McGilvray believes that the science fair is placing unnecessary pressure on students, including himself. “If I don’t even want to go into something science-related, why should I do it?” McGilvray said. “The only thing I ever remember from the science fair is how stressed out everyone gets.”
Technology has created a digital debate at NAHS, with a recent change being the tolerance for a digital trifold. For many students, this comes as a relief, allowing them to spend less money, and possibly time, constructing their projects, compared to the old requirement for physical trifolds. However, Sophomore Ava Youd, who advanced to the state science fair with her partner Ariel Milner in the 2024-2025 school year, thinks that digital backboards are ruining the science fair as a whole. Ava Youd said, “Digital backboards are defeating the purpose. People want to see your creativity, and the whole point is to walk around and learn! I think it also defeats human interaction.”
As the science fair continues as NAHS, the project is opening doors with digital options, and closing them with the competition limits. The question still remains on whether the benefits of the science fair can outweigh the academic burden it seems to be on hundreds of students.
