One son's now in colĀlege, but the Ylitalo famĀiĀly reĀmains a forĀmiĀdaĀble presĀence in reĀgionĀal and state sciĀence fair comĀpeĀtiĀtion ā and that's good news for Stillwater Area High School.
This month, Max Ylitalo, 15, a sophoĀmore, won the right to repĀreĀsent Minnesota at the I-SWEEEP (International SusĀtainĀaĀble World Energy Engineering and EnĀviĀronĀment Project) OĀlymĀpiĀad in Houston in May.
His proĀject, "GarĀbage ReĀducĀtion to Energy ProĀducĀtion: ConĀvertĀing Waste Paper to EthaĀnol," capĀtured the enĀviĀronĀmenĀtal exĀcelĀlence aĀward at the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair, the eĀvent that qualĀiĀfied him for the Houston trip.
Ylitalo and five othĀer Stillwater Area High stuĀdents ā Nate FarĀmer, Ben FarĀmer, HanĀnah FarĀmer, Max Vogel and PeĀdro Angulo-Umana ā also adĀvanced to the state sciĀence and enĀgiĀneerĀing fair to be held March 30 to April 1, a school disĀtrict news reĀlease said.
Last year, Ylitalo's oldĀer brothĀer, Andy Ylitalo, comĀpeted in the InĀtel International Science and Engineering Fair. His proĀject was tiĀtled, "Functionalization of HexĀagĀoĀnal BoĀron NiĀtride Monolayers and Analysis with TransĀmisĀsion EĀlecĀtron MiĀcrosĀcoĀpy."
Andy Ylitalo, a 2013 Stillwater graduĀate, now atĀtends StanĀford University.
Last year, CaĀroĀline Ylitalo, the boys' mothĀer, told the Star Tribune that workĀing on sciĀence projects durĀing cold-weathĀer months is a famĀiĀly traĀdiĀtion.
Max Ylitalo, conĀtacted by the newsĀpaper when school was canceled in JanĀuĀarĀy due to cold weathĀer, said at the time that he didn't mind the time off beĀcause it would alĀlow him to hone the presĀenĀtaĀtion asĀpect of this year's proĀject, which he said inĀvolves makĀing bioĀfuel out of reĀcycled paĀper.
In May, Max Ylitalo also will repĀreĀsent the state as a stuĀdent obĀservĀer at this year's InĀtel fair in Los AnĀgeĀles.
Stillwater
High school exchange program recognized
Stillwater Area High School last month received the 2014 Top AFS School award in recognition of its student exchange program.
Officials at the high school, with an enrollment just shy of 2,100, were presented with the honor at the Feb. 27 school board meeting. The award is given out each year by the AFS-USA, a leading foreign exchange organization.
Criteria include partnering with AFS "to promote global citizenship through intercultural learning ā both inside and outside of the classroom."
According to a news release posted on the Stillwater School District's website, the school was recognized for hosting 30 AFS students from 20 countries over the years, sending its own students abroad and incorporating "intercultural learning in the curriculum," all in the name of "fostering global competency" in its student body.
"We're so thankful and proud to work in educational partnership with schools like Stillwater Area High School," Tonya Muro, director of school outreach and educational partnerships at AFS, said in the release. "These educators are at the forefront of bringing global awareness and intercultural experiences to their students. In doing so, they are providing students, teachers and the greater community profound opportunities to broaden their knowledge of other cultures and peoples, which is indispensable in this day and age."