BAR HARBOR – Among the array of cogent insights included in President Obama’s recent State of the Union address was this observation: “We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.”

As a scientist at The Jackson Laboratory, I couldn’t agree more. My colleagues and I are inspired by the fact that America has a president who strongly believes that science education should be at the top of the list for bettering our country. Indeed it should.

The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor is a nonprofit genetics research institute and an international hub for training and educating scientists of all ages, including programs for scientists, science teachers, and high school and college students.

After learning that the Maine State Science Fair, which has been a fixture in Maine science education for more than 60 years, was on the verge of being discontinued for lack of funding, The Jackson Laboratory volunteered to organize and host this event. Maine cannot be the only state without a science fair.

On a personal note, I was born and raised in Maine. Like many children, I had my share of challenges, but there were also teachers who encouraged and inspired me. I was fascinated with science. One year, I ran with that all the way to the top, winning “best of fair” in the Maine State Science Fair.

It was a defining moment for me. I had discovered that science was a realm in which I could excel. At age 18, I believed that there were no opportunities for me in the state of Maine and I left.

I made my way through life, and 20 years later my career path took me full circle to an exciting new job opportunity as a scientist at The Jackson Lab. I had found my dream job, and I consider myself pretty lucky.

Of course this doesn’t mean that everything is rosy. As I have watched my own children grow and struggle in our public schools, I have seen a steady decline in the diversity of educational experiences. There are fewer and fewer opportunities to provide those defining moments that inspire children to achieve their full potential as individuals — something that will never happen during long hours of assessment testing.

As parents and educators, we need to make room for experiences that will foster self-esteem and a life-long passion. If we can build confidence and enthusiasm in our children, academic and personal success will follow.

Mandates for proficiency in reading and mathematics have resulted in a reduction of time dedicated to topics like science and social studies. Sadly, recess time, which my children certainly need more of, has suffered too.

School doesn’t have to work this way. Integration of topics is one way to address core learning while embracing variety. Content reading can be designed to improve scientific literacy while developing specific reading skills.

Science and math are a natural pairing. A creative teacher, given the freedom to do so, could teach “smath” in Spanish. We need to empower our teachers. As parents we can encourage science teaching by volunteering time or helping to raise funds for the material needed to enhance science education.

A small gesture such as a stipend for the teacher who volunteers her time to help with the fair says, “this is important” and “you are appreciated.” We do it for the football coach.

Inspirational moments can happen on a sports field, a stage, in an art studio, recital room or, among other places, at a science fair. Consider the value of nurturing one kid’s love of science. In my case, the value can be measured objectively by the federal funding that my work brings into the state of Maine every year.

I have paid back the cost of running that science fair. That small investment many years ago has created jobs and opportunities for others and has helped me to find a fulfilling career in my home state.

The Jackson Laboratory wishes to offer the opportunity for Maine’s high school students to participate in a science fair. We were concerned when the state of Maine dropped its science fair program and felt it was important to pick up the ball.

If just one of these kids runs with it, we will have achieved something immeasurable. We hope that this entertaining and educational event will provide K-12 students with inspiration and a better understanding of the science fair concept.

– Special to the Telegram