The Washington Tracking Network (WTN) Youth Science Contest has recently announced the winners of its third annual high school science contest, which included second and third place winners from Selah High School. The contest allows high school students to hone their science and communication skills by using health and environmental data from their communities.
Jennifer Sabel, WTN Manager with the DOH, expressed her excitement about the passion and dedication of the students in identifying, analyzing, and working to improve public health issues. The winning projects were judged by DOH experts based on content, health and equity impact, and presentation.
Selah High School students were recognized for their outstanding projects in the contest. The second place project, titled “Yakima Unveiled: Poverty and Opioid Overdose Relations,” was presented by Sophia Tyrrell and Alexa Garcia. The third place project, “Exploring the Relationship Between Tobacco Use and Lung Cancer Risk,” was developed by Valeria Montalvo and Genavieve Gamache.
It is inspiring to see young individuals engaging with real-world health and environmental data to make a positive impact in their communities. The Department of Health is proud to support and guide these students as they strive to address important public health issues through their scientific projects.