April 13, 2026- District students who excelled at the Jersey Shore Science Fair last month advanced to compete at the Delaware Science Fair on April 1. This included seven students from Intermediate North — Devansh Gupta, Saanvi Gupta, Noah Lessig, Ishani Patel, Kayva P. Patel, Kavya B. Patel, and Takshil Patel.

Noah Lessig (above) earned first place in the Earth & Space category with his project titled “Can Mycorrhizal Fungi Improve The Growth of Radish Microgreens in Martian Soil?” Fellow eighth grader Kavya P. Patel (below) scored a second-place finish in the Consumer Science category for “Which Biodegradable Hydrogels Help Plants Grow Taller- Store-bought vs. Homemade?" Kavya also received the Mixit-Kohlhaas Award, given in memory of Jack Mixit (former director the of the DVSF) and Donald Kohlhaas (long time supporter of the DVSF) for excellence in STEM, which included a $100 check.

Both Kavya and Noah were invited to participate in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge® — the premier STEM research competition for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in the United States — in Washington, D.C. later this year.

"We are incredibly proud of all seven students who represented Intermediate North with such distinction at the Delaware Valley Science Fair," said science teacher Kristin Renkin. "Their achievements highlight the strength of our academic community and the bright future ahead for each of them."

Congratulations to these outstanding young scientists for their hard work and remarkable accomplishments!