After a two-year break the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair
returned to Bremerton, WA High School giving the local amateur radio
community a chance to support youth participating in the fair. Local
amateur radio operators from the West Sound Amateur Radio Club (WSARC),
Kitsap County Amateur Radio Club (KCARC) and Kitsap County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (KCARES) were at the fair to interact with the youth.
The following are the amateur radio operators that helped make this
year’s event successful:

• Michael Montfort, KB0SVF, Event Coordinator
• Christopher Johnson, KE7YC
• John “JD” Shaw, K7LCW
• Philip Housel, KC7SVI

“Washington State Science & Engineering Fair Mission & Purpose
Statement

“Promoting Future Scientists and Engineers”

  • Advance the studies of Science and Engineering in grades 1-12
    throughout the State of Washington.
  • Organize and annually run the Washington State Science and
    Engineering Fair.
  • Assist in providing the opportunity for students throughout the
    State of Washington to display their projects and be judged at
    annual Regional Fairs and the Washington
    State Science and Engineering Fair.
  • As an umbrella organization, provide support, advice, and guidance
    for the operation of local and regional Science and Engineering
    Fairs throughout Washington State.”

Source:
https://wssef.org/washington-state-science-engineering-fair-mission-statement/

An estimated 40 fair attendees visited the amateur radio display. As an
interesting note “According to the Head Judge, Mike Huey, the WSSEF
sees an amateur radio related project every year or two.”

Mike, KB0SVF reported the following contacts during the weekend:

Friday March 31st:
Alabama
South Dakota x2
Virginia
Utah x2
North Carolina
Texas x2

Saturday April 1st:
Alaska
Canada (BC and Quebec)
Kansas
Texas x2
Mississippi
Missouri
Utah

“and Japan! A student who was a 17 y/o ham made contact with a station
and got a reply! However, the noise and fading go so bad that all we
caught was the J8** Station 🙁 we gave the student a QSL card. The
student was a Japanese/American and his callsign was KK7HYR(?) (I tried
QRZ but couldn’t pull it up – I’ll try to find my note.).”

WSSEF on “Inside Bremerton” BKAT1 Television Network
Click here to view: https://vimeo.com/125518474

Hearing the students talk about their projects, their goals and why they
come to the WSSEF justifies the immense time, money, effort, and
countless hours it takes to put on the Fair. Job VERY well done
everyone!

View the final product from the two days of filming from a previous
Washington State Science & Engineering Fair (WSSEF).  While there are
a number of other WSSEF shows and snip-its in their archives, this is by
far the best rendition of what the Fair is and captures it’s essence.
BKAT authorized the WSSEF to share the video with the public and we are
encouraging you to share the good works of the WSSEF and why you are
involved.

1 BKAT: Bremerton Kitsap Access Television

Here is a testimonial from a past WSSEF attendee and now event
volunteer:

“BTW, your exhibit was the thing that finally inspired me and my
entire family to get our licenses about 10 years ago!”

David Hillier, AA7XX
March 29, 2023

As the Western Washington Section Manager, I am very pleased and
appreciative of the dedication displayed by the amateur radio operators
in the Western Washington Section, especially Kitsap County that
volunteered their time, talent, and equipment to invest in the younger
generation coming up behind us.

I’d like to thank Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL Headquarters for supplying
this team with vital publications and display items. Without his help
the effort at WSSEF wouldn’t have been as successful.

There is an expression that originated in part by Mother Theresa and
improved upon by U.S. Air Force tanker crews in the 1950s that perfectly
describes the volunteer amateur radio operators in the Western
Washington Section, and I couldn’t be prouder of them:

“We have done so much with so little for so long, that now we can do
anything with nothing.”


ARRL Western Washington Section
Section Manager: Monte L Simpson, W7FF
w7ff@arrl.org

Washington State Science and Engineering Fair – March 31 through April 1, 2023