Santa Barbara Public Library invites local students, ages eight to 18, to submit science fair experiments or projects to be featured in the October 2022 Science Fair, as part of Santa Barbara Reads (SB Reads) programming. Students must be able to present their project or experiment at the event, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15. Group submissions are welcome.

This year’s featured title for SB Reads is “The Fifth Season” by N.K. Jemisin, an award-winning science fiction fantasy novel, set on an alternative earth, where a red rift in the continent known as The Stillness threatens the survival of civilization.

The novel’s world building is inspired from science that occurs on Earth every day, delving into seismology, paleoclimate and geomorphology. Students can submit a project that follows the scientific method and have the chance to present their findings at the Science Fair.

Find the application here.

In submitting their applications, young readers are urged to consider: What question can you investigate that ties in with the science of “The Fifth Season?” What effects do earth science, climate, environment and sustainability have in our everyday lives?

A limited number of stipends are available for those who need financial assistance to obtain supplies. Teachers interested in participating with their classroom shoild reach out to library staff if they would like support.

The Science Fair will also feature table talks from UCSB scientists and graduate students on their current research, as well as hands-on science activities for kids and families from library staff, as well as MOXI, Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, Explore Ecology, and UCSB Society of Women Engineers.

Learn more about Santa Barbara Reads 2022 and the book “The Fifth Season” here.

Santa Barbara Reads is funded through the annual support of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation. For more about the foundation and how to support SB Reads 2022, visit the website.