Desoto fair focuses on homeschoolers

Homeschool students often take on every bit the same challenging academic workload as their traditional school counterparts, and sometimes even do more. However, one thing that is often lacking is the opportunity to share their hard work and creativity with others.

That’s why the DeSoto County Homeschool History and Science Fair, organized by the Olive Branch Christian Home Educators, was created three years ago.

“This is a way that they can showcase what they work on. Since they homeschool, they don’t get to spotlight the creative things that they do,” said Laurinda Sparks, leader of the Olive Branch Christian Home Educators group.

A total of around 20 projects were displayed at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Southaven Saturday. That’s double the number of projects the fair had its first year. Some projects are by individuals, such as Grant Holliman’s History of the Space Shuttle, while others were group efforts.

Elly Patterson’s desire to learn more about water striders after she read about them in her thirdgrade science book led to a project she and her sister, Sydney, 11, presented on the Marangoni Effect, which deals with changes in surface tension when two liquids are combined.

“We started looking up how the water strider walks on water, and that led to a study of water molecules. That led us to look up other things about water molecules. We did so many water-molecule experiments t hat my kitchen was a wreck,” said Calista Patterson, the girls’ mother. to relate to history or science, but there are no presentation guidelines or judging and no charge to participate or attend.

The fair is always held in March however the venue changes from year to year because the event space is donated by local churches and libraries.

For information on the DeSoto County Homeschool History and Science Fair, contact Olive Branch Christian Home Educators through sites. google.com/site/obchristianhomeeducators/.