Donna Price / American Press 1., 7, 8, Daniel Johns Jr., a seventh-grader at Maplewood Middle School, explains his science fair project, “How different gummies react in water,” to judge Byungkyun Chung, a McNeese professor of agriculture and science, during the Louisiana Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair held Thursday at McNeese.

Donna Price / American Press Caleigh Elliott, a fifth-grade student at T.S. Cooley Magnet School waits for her science project to be judged. Her project is called “Lend a Hand to the Land: What helps stop soil erosion?”

Donna Price / American Press Louisiana Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair judge Janak Paudyal listens Thursday as student Keerat Kaur, a seventh-grader at Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School, explains her science project: “Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?”

Donna Price / American Press Students wait for their science projects to be judged Thursday at the Louisiana Region 5 Science and Engineering Fair at McNeese State University.