In the science classrooms across campus, students test everything from fruit flies with Parkinson’s disease to the effects of fire extinguishers on algae. Partners sit side-by-side, filling out Google Sheets, pouring colored liquids into test tubes and measuring the mass of chemicals — all during Science Fair FLX Block.
Archer has been participating in the Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair since 2017 and has received over 100 awards for its innovations. Some of the awards include the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award, the Association of Women Geoscientists Award and the CAPS Science Achievement Award. Over the past few years, Archer teachers have encouraged students to engage in more partner projects instead of individual research.
Seventh grade science teacher and adviser of science fair Jerilyn Neshek has been working at Archer for 19 years. She helps students proofread their projects and assists in framing the methodology to create their innovations. Neshek said that the environment within the science fair is less lecture-based and more of a group effort.
“It’s way more collaborative. I’m not telling them what to do. I’m more, ‘Okay, what do you want to do? And let me help you do what you want to do in a safe way,’” Neshek said. “And then it’s also collaborative between the classmates — a sense of ‘I did that last year, let me help you do it this year.’”
Science fair participant Jaya Srinivasan (‘28) agreed that science fair is a collaborative effort and said she seeks out her peers for help.
“I rely on my peers for help if they … have seen something that I’m working with before that I haven’t,” Srinivasan said. “Maybe they’ve worked with the bacteria that I’m working with, and I’ve never used it before.”
Farah Sandoval (‘28), another science fair participant, is currently working on a project with her partner, Jackie Mayne (‘28). Sandoval has previously done two partner projects in the science fair and said she prefers them to working alone.
“I think a lot of people would rather avoid having to communicate with another person about everything they’re writing,” Sandoval said. “It’s another thing to add on, but it really brought us a lot closer together.”
Mayne has also previously done two partner projects and said partners help adjust work to become better researchers. Overall, she believes that partner projects foster growth in more areas than just science.
“If you’re with someone who you know you work really well with, it’s a really good way to get more ideas to make each other’s writing better,” Mayne said, “and build off of one another.”
Srinivasan also praised the partner project experience, saying it is one that bonds classmates together in and outside of the classroom. She said that it’s a place where you build deep relationships.
“You get to work on something really cool and complex with them,” Srinivasan said, “and you get to share an experience that you probably don’t really get to share with many other people.”
Along with the bonding that happens in partner projects, students also said they learn how to manage time effectively through splitting up work and taking on new responsibilities.
“We have a very trusting situation going for us,” Mayne said, “where sometimes I’m just swamped with work because we are in some different classes, and I have different extracurriculars. She understands, and maybe she’ll take on some more work for that goal.”
With packed schedules, students often have to prioritize certain assignments over others to meet deadlines. Mayne said the key to managing it all is focusing on one task at a time — multitasking just isn’t an option. Having a partner helps lighten the load, allowing participants to divide responsibilities and keep the work from becoming overwhelming.
“I wouldn’t even say it might not even be split half-and-half, but we’re all okay with that,” Mayne said, “because we know we’ll pick up the other person’s slack when we have to.”
With so many projects in this year’s science fair, Neshek works closely with each group to fact-check their research and help refine their ideas. Sandoval said she appreciates Neshek’s dedication and the detailed feedback she gives throughout the process. In the end, students said the partner projects strengthen their experiments and create lasting bonds between classmates.
“Everyone shares a passion for STEM and research,” Srinivasan said. “You’re all bonded by that.”
