The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) is a statewide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest in science among its members through the development of research projects and investigations. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is divided into 12 PJAS regions. Each PJAS region consists of two or more counties. Every PJAS region has one or more directors and a treasurer who oversees the operation of the region. PJAS also has a State Director, a State Secretary, and two State Treasurers as well as committees for Judging, Safety, Technicians, and Awards.
The Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, as an Affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is organized with the following objectives:
To promote greater participation in science and mathematics activities among the youth of Pennsylvania
To improve the quality of achievement in mathematics and science by encouraging students to participate in research and developing original ideas
To develop an understanding of the scientific community through close association with leaders in the sciences
To see the improvement of science clubs activities through the cooperative regional and state meetings
To inculcate among its members true scientific attitudes and humanistic ideals that shall lead to the greater development of service to man
Students in Fairview Middle School's Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science group work hard to create and present their own research using the scientific method. They choose topics of research from various science fields, including:
Botany
Physics
Chemistry
The students then present their research to a panel of judges at the regional competition. If they qualify, they have the opportunity to then compete at the state level at the yearly state competition held at Penn State Main Campus.