2025 ECEF Science Fair
2025 ECEF Science Fair
Thank you Ms. Brianna Bogan & Ms. Melissa Lorenc for making this event possible. ECEF offers the following prizes for the winners:
- $250 gift card for 1st place
- $150 gift card for 2nd place
- $100 gift card for 3rd place winners
- Medals for honorable mention
- Certificates for all participants
**Did you know?
- All participants of this science fair are eligible to compete in the
Bergen SciChallenge, the science fair hosted by the Bergen County Academies. The competition is on 6/1, and the registration deadline is 5/3.
- Projects awarded “Top 10% of the Fair” at the Bergen SciChallenge are invited to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the National Middle School Science Fair. From there, top finishers are awarded scholarships and travel to Washington, DC.
- The Bergen SciChallenge is one of only four fairs in NJ affiliated with The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, which is by invitation only. 7th grader Olivia Huang was awarded one of the Top 30 Junior Innovators in this Challenge in 2024. She and 8th grader Benjamin Lau were awarded among the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the same year.
- Upper School Previous Bergen SciChallenge Winners include:
1. Olivia Huang: 1st Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10% of fair - “Can Medications for Lactose Intolerance and Gastroesophageal Reflux Work Together to Increase Efficacy of Lactase?”
2. Benjamin Lau: 1st Place, Engineering, 2024 & top 10% of fair - “Designing a Plant-Based Biodegradable Absorbent for Cleaning Oil Spills.”
3. Kayla Pietrocola: 1st Place, Computer Science, 2024, & top 10% of fair - “Can AI Platforms and Original Writing be Distinguished?”
4. Jayoon Lee: 2nd Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10% of fair - “Atopy-Safe Slime: Formulation Innovation”
5. Annabel Yoo: 2nd Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10% of fair - “How Much Vitamin C is Left in a Strawberry After Washing?
6. Vivienne Huang: 1st Place, Environmental Science, 2024, Lemelson Early Innovator Award - “The Case for Casein: Is Casein a Better Biodegradable Material Than Plastic, PLA, or Paper?”
7. Benjamin Lau - 1st Place, Engineering, 2023 & top 10% of fair. - “Designing a Pedal Power Magnetic Induction Stove”
8. Charles Kakkanatt - 1st Place, Biology, 2023 & top 10% of fair. - “Performance vs. Perception: Determinants of Confidence and Persistence”
9. Annabel Yoo - 3rd place, Biology, 2023 - “Which berries absorb the most water?”
10. Charles Kakkanatt - 1st Place, Biology, 2022- “Can meditation improve athletic performance?” [Invited to Broadcom MASTERS, top 10% of Fair]
11. Christopher Lau - 1st Place, Biology, 2022 –“ How does pH level in hydroponic systems affect mung bean growth?” [ Invited to Broadcom MASTERS, top 10% of Fair]
12. Claire Shi - 2nd Place, Environmental Science, 2022 – “Building with Mushroom Roots: Three-Point Flexural Test”
13. Lauren Kim - 3rd Place, Biology, 2022 – “What is the best technique for seed germination?”
14. Charles Kakkanatt - 2nd Place , Biology, 2021 – “Does meditation help decrease stress?”
15. Joanne Shyr - 2nd Place, Environmental Science, 2021 –“Sustainable Future: Bioplastic Durability Test”
Congratulations to our ECEF Upper School Science Fair 2024 winner, Olivia Huang (currently 8th grade), who won the Team Award at the National Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge on Oct. 29th, 2024!
Among the 6 teams consist of the top 30 finalists in the Finals Week in D.C., Olivia’s team won the Team Award based on their ability to work together and solve problems through shared decision making, communication and scientific and engineering collaboration throughout two full challenge days where they learned to do a bunch of new skills like coding, building solar-powered mini houses, analyzed a fictional family with sickle cell disease, made a battery, learned how to micropipette and do gel electrophoresis and code with raspberry pi. Olivia enjoyed the challenges and also felt great to make good friends and connections with people from across the country. She rates this experience 10 out of 10 and highly recommends that other kids strive to get there to experience it as well. We’re really proud of her and grateful to be in this inspiring journey with her.
Congratulations to our ECEF Upper School Science Fair 2024 winner, Olivia Huang (currently 8th grade), who was announced as the Top 30 Finalists in Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge on Sep. 18th, 2024!
Congratulations to our ECEF Upper School Science Fair 2024 winners, Benjamin Lau and Olivia Huang, who were awarded among the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge on Sep. 4th, 2024!
Ben won first place in Engineering and top 10% of the Bergen SciChallenge (held by Bergen County Academies in June). Olivia won first place in Chemistry and top 10% of the same fair.
Science Fair 2024
Science Fair Winners:
1st place:
Vivienne Huang - “The Case for Casein: Is Casein a Better Biodegradable Material Than Plastic, PLA, or Paper?”
2nd place:
Olivia Huang -“Can Medications for Lactose Intolerance and Gastroesophageal Reflux Work Together to Increase Efficacy of Lactase?”
3rd place:
Benjamin Lau - “Designing a Plant-Based Biodegradable Absorbent for Cleaning Oil Spills.”
Honorable mentions:
Kayla Pietrocola - “Can AI Platforms and Original Writing be Distinguished?”
Eric Cui -“Are Solar Powered Desalinators Effective?”
Joelle Shyr - “ How Does the Amount of Coffee Grounds in Concrete Affect the Strength?”
Bradley Koo - “Do Different Types of Music Affect the Growth of a Plant?”
**Did you know?
- All participants of this science fair are eligible to compete in the Bergen SciChallenge, the science fair hosted by the Bergen County Academies.
- Projects awarded “Top 10% of the Fair” at the Bergen SciChallenge are invited to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, (formerly called Broadcom MASTERS), the National Middle School Science Fair. From there, top finishers are awarded scholarships and travel to Washington, DC.
- The Bergen SciChallenge is one of only four fairs in NJ affiliated with The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, which is by invitation only.
- Upper School Previous Bergen SciChallenge Winners include:
1. Benjamin Lau: 1st Place, Engineering, 2024 & top 10% of fair
2. Kayla Pietrocola: 1st Place, Computer Science, 2024, & top 10% of fair
3. Olivia Huang: 1st Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10% of fair
4. Jayoon Lee: 2nd Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10%
5. Annabel Yoo: 2nd Place, Chemistry, 2024, & top 10%
6. Vivienne Huang: 1st Place, Environmental Science, 2024, Lemelson Early Innovator Award
7. Charles Kakkanatt - 1st Place, Biology, 2022- “Can meditation improve athletic performance?” [Invited to Broadcom MASTERS, top 10% of Fair]
8. Christopher Lau - 1st Place, Biology, 2022 –“ How does pH level in hydroponic systems affect mung bean growth?” [ Invited to Broadcom MASTERS, top 10% of Fair]
9. Claire Shi - 2nd Place, Environmental Science, 2022 – “Building with Mushroom Roots: Three-Point Flexural Test”
10. Lauren Kim - 3rd Place, Biology, 2022 – “What is the best technique for seed germination?”
11. Charles Kakkanatt - 2nd Place , Biology, 2021 – “Does meditation help decrease stress?”
12. Joanne Shyr - 2nd Place, Environmental Science, 2021 –“Sustainable Future: Bioplastic Durability Test”
Science Fair 2023
Science Fair Winners:
1st place- Benjamin Lau - " Designing a Pedal Power Magnetic Induction Stove"
2nd place- Olivia Huang -" How do different solutions affect the growth of bean plants?"
3rd place-Christopher Lau - " The effects of non-circadian light cycles on the growth of hydroponic lettuce"
Honorable mentions:
Annabel Yoo -"Which berries absorb the most water?"
Eric Cui -"How does UV light affect bacteria?"
Charles Kakkanatt - "Performance vs. Perception: Determinants of Confidence and Persistence"
Jaehyun Ryu - "What is the most effective way to reduce static electricity?"
SCIENCE FAIR pictures 2023
2022 Science Fair Winners
1st Place - Christopher Lau, How does pH level in hydroponic systems affect mung bean growth?
2nd Place - Claire Shi, Building with Mushroom Roots: Three-Point Flexural Test
3rd Place - Joanne Shyr, Could AI change the way we think about art and authenticity?
Honorable Mention - Charles Kakkanatt, Can Meditation help improve athletic performance?
Honorable Mention - Lauren Kim, What is the best technique for seed germination?
Honorable Mention - Jaehyun Ryu, Normal vinyl vs bubble wrap: Which is more effective to keep the house warm?
Englewood Cliffs Upper School 2021 Science Fair
Sponsored by the Englewood Cliffs Education Foundation(ECEF)
ECEF Kids Bids 2025
Get ready to bid and win great in-school experiences for your kids! The ECEF Kids Bids Online Auction starts March 24th until 9pm on March 30th.
Popular activities such as "Principal-for-the-Day", "Front row seats to the Spring Musical or Graduation", and special activities with your child's favorite teachers, etc. Makes a great gift for any occasion!