Kern County Science Foundation

Congratulations to our local students who competed and placed at the California Science & Engineering Fair!

This is the final science fair of the academic year for students throughout the State of California in grades 6-12, serving California's future scientists and engineers since 1952. Judging interviews of all projects were held at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks on April 11-12, 2026. This year there were 882 participants from 356 schools throughout the state presenting 725 projects in competition for nearly $30,000 in total awards, including the opportunities for the top award winners in the Junior Division to participate in the national Thermo Fisher Scientific competition, and for the top award winners in the Senior Division to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

The following Kern County students placed in their categories:

​Alternative Energy (Junior Division)
​​3rd place - Rhett Wyrick/Rio Bravo-Greeley School

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (Junior Division)
4th place - Katherine Shenouda/St. John’s Lutheran School

​Chemistry (Junior Division)
​​1st place - Champ Smith/Palm Avenue Middle School

​Earth & Environmental Science (Senior Division)
​​Honorable Mention - Archer Serxner/Bakersfield Christian High School

​Environmental Engineering (Junior Division)
​Honorable Mention - Nathan Ramos-Leal/Owens Elementary School

​Zoology (Junior Division)
​​4th place - Alekha Goldberg/Peak to Peak Mountain Charter School