Bayview Glen students proudly shared their passion for science and innovation at the 2026 Toronto Science Fair, one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious student science competitions. From gold medal–winning Upper School innovation to thoughtful and creative Grade 5 investigations, our students demonstrated curiosity, perseverance, and the power of scientific thinking.
Upper School Gold Medal Innovations with Real-World Impact
Stefano E.,Grade 11 Student
Cooling the Future: Lattice Cold Plates for High-Performance Computing
Data centers spend up to 40% of their energy on cooling alone, a problem that’s accelerating with the rise of consumer AI. For my research project, I set out to find a more mathematically optimal alternative to the industry-standard CNC-milled cold plate.
The answer was a Triply Periodic Minimal Surface called a gyroid lattice. Unlike conventional straight-channel designs, a gyroid agitates fluid in all three dimensions simultaneously, continuously disrupting thermal boundary layers while maximizing surface area. I taught myself nTopology to design and simulate the plate geometry, then built a closed-loop hydraulic data logging circuit to run controlled experiments. The gyroid plate delivered a 36% higher cooling rate, 2.25°C lower sustained surface temperature, and 52% greater total surface area than the control.
The project earned Gold at the citywide Toronto Science Fair! I’m grateful to Professor Mihaela Vlasea and her Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory at the University of Waterloo for their advice, and I look forward to collaborating with them as I push this research further, and potentially toward a published research paper.
Riya V. and Shaan V.,Grade 11 and Grade 9 Student
BrAIllePath
We are Riya and Shaan, and we recently developed BraillePath, a wearable navigation aid designed for the deaf-blind community. Our project addresses a critical gap: while many tools exist for single-sensory loss, few provide real-time environmental awareness for those without both sight and sound.
BraillePath uses smart glasses with a camera to capture the user’s surroundings, which is then processed by AI models we fine-tuned to detect obstacles like cars and people. This data is converted into tactile braille cues on the user’s wrist. For example, if a car approaches from the left, BraillePath displays a braille character on the wrist indicating a vehicle approaching from that direction. Developing this required a multi-disciplinary approach, combining circuitry, mobile app development, and numerous iterations of 3D-printed prototypes.
A highlight of our journey was receiving feedback from Sven Topp, a deaf-blind researcher from Germany. His insights into daily navigation challenges helped us refine our design. Moving forward, we hope to actually develop our project further and test it with deaf-blind individuals! We are honored to share this innovation with the Bayview Glen community!
Grade 5 Scientists Embrace Experimentation and Innovation
Zoe,
Grade 5 Student
Since the start of the year, I have been looking forward to trying out for the Toronto Science Fair, and it has been a pleasure to be able to represent the school while learning about science. This year, Grade 5 students like me were able to have the opportunity to try out for the Toronto Science Fair with no guarantee of getting picked. Only two teams were selected to represent the school. It was truly competitive! Many students tried out with the choice of having a partner or going solo, and only two teams got to make it in. To be chosen among the many creative entries across Grade 5 to represent the school has been such a privilege, and on top of that, I got to learn all about the scientific method and challenge my brain outside the school curriculum.
My project was called “The Battle of The Germs: Mom VS. Zoe”. My idea was about a nasty pillow (according to my mom) and a grueling, disgusting, and just gross in general toilet seat. Now before I started, I needed a hypothesis, which honestly wasn’t that hard. My hypothesis was that by the end of the five-day swabbing period, the toilet seat would be dirtier than my pillowcase.
For my experiment, I swabbed both the toilet seat and my pillowcase and observed the germ growth on a petri dish for over five days. Each day, I checked to see how much and how fast germs (also known as “microbes”) were growing. It was cool (and a little disgusting!) to see how fast these microbes grew and how these germs changed over time in size, color, and appearance. I tried to be very careful in documenting my observations, ensuring everything was recorded daily and in detail, and that everything was accurate to the point in which I could draw an accurate conclusion.
One of the most exciting parts of this experience was seeing whether my hypothesis would be proven right or wrong. As the days went on, I noticed that both the toilet seat and the pillowcase showed signs of microbial growth, but not always in the way I expected. Some days had more noticeable changes than others, which made me realize that germs can grow differently under different conditions and are not always predictable. By the end of the five days, I carefully compared the results and analyzed which surface had more growth overall. This helped me understand the importance of observation, patience, and keeping detailed records in a scientific experiment.
Overall, participating in the Toronto Science Fair was an unforgettable experience that taught me a lot about science and about myself. I learned how to think like a scientist by asking questions, making predictions, and testing ideas through experiments. It also showed me that while science experiments are very serious, they can also be fun, surprising, and even a little gross at times.
Neel R.,
Grade 5 Student
This year, I had the chance to take part in the Toronto Science Fair, representing Bayview Glen at the regional competition. It was a pleasure to participate in the Science Fair while educating myself about the world of science. In late January, I competed at the Bayview Glen Lower School fair with my fellow Grade 5 peers. I was fortunate to have my project selected as one of two submissions to advance to the regional fair.
Unlike traditional science fair projects, I chose to do an innovation project. I decided to create an innovation project because I like building, iterating, and solving problems. Another reason for this decision was that when you work on this type of project, you apply what you learn from your research to the real world. While thinking about project ideas, I came across the problem of food wastage. I realized that worldwide food waste is a serious and growing problem. According to the United Nations Environment Programme Food Waste Index Report 2021, an estimated 931 million tons of food are wasted globally each year. I set out to build a solution that would reduce household food waste.
I built FoodTech, an AI enhanced kitchen technology that helps families turn existing food into new recipes. By using the existing food items and suggesting recipes, FoodTech reduces food wastage, saves money, and makes meal planning easier. I believe FoodTech can meaningfully reduce household food wastage and promote smarter, more sustainable meal habits.
Here is how FoodTech works: The user selects food items from their fridge and/or pantry to use for meal planning. These items are placed under a compact camera. The image captured by the camera is then analyzed. Once the food items have been identified, FoodTech will display recipes using the ingredients.
Some benefits of FoodTech are:
- New Recipe Ideas: Families will have new recipes to add to their collection.
- Family bonding: FoodTech can help families make meals together. This gets kids away from screens and working together as a family.
- Child Development: FoodTech assists children in learning how to cook with easy-to-understand recipes using foods in their kitchen
- Cost Saving: This innovation can save money that is spent when going out for meals.
- Protecting the Environment: Food waste that breaks down in landfill releases methane. This gas is a big player in climate change. FoodTech will reduce household food wastage, which can help control climate change.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed participating in the Toronto Science Fair and representing Bayview Glen. While competing in this competition, I learned about the steps to innovation and about the life of a scientist. I hope to continue to partake in science fairs and to discover how science can shape our world.