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this spring. Sarasota High School's Rebecca Elsishans and Cardinal Mooney's Courtney Alexander Astore will represent the county at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in Los Angeles May 11 to 16, the release adds. Elsishans' experiment, Optimization of CO2 calcination reaction using a nickel catalyst, captured top honors in the environmental science division, the release notes. Astore's project, Linking the Severity of One's Autism Diagnosis with Symptoms and Causations, won in the behavioral and social science category. All expenses for their trip to the Intel ISEF will be paid for by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, the release points out. Susan Scott, executive director of the Education Foundation, said in the release that 822 Sarasota County students from 49 pub- lic, private and home schools submitted 657 individual and team projects to the regional competition. More than 160 volunteer judges evaluated submissions and interviewed stu- dents from the third through fifth grades on Jan. 28 and from the sixth through 12th grades on Jan. 30. Their scores determined the overall winners and winners in each of the categories, the release explains. The Sarasota County School District col- laborates with the Education Foundation Rebecca Elsishans (left) received accolades for her research during the competition, including the Faulhaber Foundation Prize for the Scientiļ¬c Exploration of Nature. Elsishans is shown at the April 2013 awards ceremony with Education Foundation executive director Susan Scott. Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader February 7, 2014 Page 76