I noticed that most of the science fairs and shows in the world are student or children oriented. Organizers of these fairs think if children and students that belong to future generations are made science-friendly, the future will be secured for science! This is nothing but a misconception! As a person from the field of science, I observed several times that even though the children are taught science in schools and learn more of it through museums, fairs, shows on science, as soon as they reach their homes, they forget all about it and follow what their parents tell them to follow! I have an interesting and true story to tell in this regard. One of my colleagues, who is also a microbiologist, once told me not to eat pulses when I cut my finger. "Eating pulses will make the injured part gather more puss", to my utter shock!

I hit her on her head and said: "You dumb idiot, tell me what happens when you cut your finger?"

"Bacteria and other microbes will enter into your body through the cut finger", she said innocently. "They will gather around the wound".

"Then?", I asked .

"Then your WBC will fight with them"

"Next what happens?"

"Some of the Microbes and WBC that are dead during the processes will form puss".

" In fact the proteins in pulses are useful in fighting the infection!"

"Yes, I know this!", she said again innocently!

"Then why did you say eating pulses will form the puss?"

She looked at me blankly and said, "Because my mother told me that!"

I put my hand to my head and screamed, "Oh, for the world's sake, forget what your mother and grandmother told you. Use your own grey matter. What is the use of studying Microbiology if you still want to listen to what your ignorant mother says?"

That is the affect  your family , loved ones and your culture will have on you! Mere science literacy cannot remove this affect on the person.
Are you shocked too? Don't be. Most of the time this is what happens. The science education you get in schools, colleges and universities will be unable to overcome the cultural conditioning of your mind done by your loved ones most of the time. People fail to use their own brains/minds to critically think what is good, what is truth and what is a myth.

I saw several science post graduate/Ph.D. degree holders believing in ghosts, paranormal  things and magic performed by the so called God-men!! I  also saw them blindly following several superstitions! 

Recently, a study was conducted which emphasizes similar views (refs 1 and 2). In this study, it was learned that support for climate science doesn't increase with science literacy and technically astute people are more "culturally polarized" than other folks and tend to side with the views of people in their social setting about global warming, concludes the survey of 1,540 people nationwide in the US! Testing science literacy with questions from the National Science Foundation's annual assessment of technical knowledge, the survey also collected cultural viewpoints from people in the study. The public's limited ability to comprehend science and the opposing sets of cultural values that are responsible are the main culprits according to this study. The reason: Basically people with technical smarts just use their abilities to better rationalize their already-held views ( that is how pseudo-science concepts originate - when people try to use their science knowledge to support their existing views and those of their groups). And why is that? What matters a lot more is having a belief that fits in with their group -- it can really ruin your life to hold a position that is at odds with your peers on a controversial issue. So it makes sense that people will pay more attention to "getting it right" relative to their group. It doesn't take a lot of sophisticated thought to be pretty good at that. But if you are capable of technical reasoning -- and you know a lot about science (they measured that too) -- you can do an even better job finding support for his or her group's position and rationalizing away evidence that challenges that position. If that is how things work, then people who are good at quantitative reasoning will be even more polarized. "Fitting in with your friends matters a lot more to people than getting climate science right!"

Moreover, research shows (3) that it is difficult to change when you are alone. It can be difficult for people to change aspects of their personality based on desire alone. That doesn't mean people can't make the changes they want. They just might need outside help doing so—from a professional, a friend, family, group and societies in which they live.

Research also shows (4) that life's choices like energy related decisions  can be contagious and are influenced by peer's behaviour.

Only a handful of people will have the courage and ability to think critically and differently from their loved ones and friends. And only a few amongst them will have the courage to accept the truth,  stand by it and swim against the current !

Hmmm! So when  science subjects children are studying in schools,  collages and universities have no affect on them, what affect will science fairs, museums and shows will have on students?

I feel these should be aimed at parents, teachers and social groups too for an effective science education to take place. When  parents trust science, children too will start doing that. When their peers in their social circles start thinking critically, it will catch up with the students. So organizers and policy makers, think about this issue.

Ref 1: http://www.culturalcognition.net/blog/2012/5/26/climate-change-pola...

Ref 2: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/05/st...

Ref 3: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-01-personality-easy.html?utm_so...  

4. https://techxplore.com/news/2020-02-energy-choices-contagious-insig...