The seeds of science need to be planted for every student — not just the winners, said Jeff Smith, a science fair board member. "Everything we do is to motivate them to our mission," Smith said.

What the science fair has become is an opportunity for parents to show off their science and "art of re-creating what they find on Pinterest" skills. I know, because I did it for far too many years.

Today, in what President Obama called one of the "most fun" events of the year, dozens of students from around the country showcased their experiments and inventions at the fifth annual White ...