Year 10 Mataī students Ben Foster and Charlie Lewis have made their mark at the Manukau Science Fair, impressing judges and competitors alike with their innovative research. The duo, currently studying the uses for Māori medicinal plants in their Science class, entered the fair with a project that explored the antifungal properties of Harakeke (New Zealand flax).
What started as a classroom experiment soon became a contender at a major science event after Ben’s mum encouraged the pair to apply.
“We researched for months before putting together our final board,” Ben shared.
The Manukau Science Fair attracts hundreds of entries from across Auckland’s intermediates and colleges, showcasing the best budding scientific minds in the region. “There were easily over 100 boards at the event,” he added.
At the science fair, they claimed the 1st place prize in the Year 9/10 Living World category.
Feeling great about their win, they were invited to attend the prizegiving on September 2.
Charlie grinned as he pointed out “As well as winning the Year 9/10 Living World category, at the prizegiving we also won the best Year 10 category and came 2nd place in the entire competition.”
Whilst they’re happy with the title alone, the pair will also receive monetary awards from a pool of $10,000 for their three prizes.
Both students are thrilled about their success and already looking forward to next year’s competition. “We’re excited to do it all over again,” they said, hinting at even bigger ideas for the future.
Keep an eye on these young scientists—they’re just getting started!
