The annual Synopsys Championship showcases students in the Santa Clara County of California who will become our future scientists, technology experts, engineers, and mathematicians. This regional competition celebrates achievement by middle and high school students supported by their parents, teachers, and schools.
Through the annual Fair competition, hundreds of the area’s students are challenged to go beyond their classroom studies to do independent project-based research. They work independently or in teams to address questions in the fields of Computer Science, Environmental Science, Medicine & Health, Chemistry, Biology, and a half dozen other categories.
Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair Association is affiliated with the Society for Science, and at the Synopsys Championship selected projects are chosen to go on to compete and win in other state and national competitions, including the prestigious International Science & Engineering Fair. But whether or not a student wins, every student is celebrated and encouraged by the hundreds of other attending students, parents, teachers, mentors, sponsors, judges, and members of the public.
Students will present in junior (6th – 8th grade) and senior (9th – 12th grade) divisions in multiple areas of study. Fair participants are drawn from public, private, parochial and home-schools in Santa Clara County.
After virtual fairs in 2020, 2021 and 2022, SCVSEFA is proud to announce that the Synopsys Championship was in-person in 2023 and 2024 and will be in-person in 2025.
The 2024 Awards Ceremony was held in April 2024 and the results are posted here along with the winners from Regeneron ISEF, the California Science & Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge nominees and winners.
Why Enter the Championship?
- All students have an opportunity to present their work to the public, other students, and some of the approximately 500 category and sponsored award judges.
- All participants receive a commemorative pin and certificate.
- First place, Second place, and Honorable Mention merit prizes are awarded by SCVSEFA for projects in the Junior and Senior Divisions.
- Selected Grand Prize recipients advance to an all-expenses-paid trip to the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair in May.
- Projects in the Junior and Senior Divisions are selected as eligible to compete in the California Science & Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in April.
- Selected winners in the junior division are eligible to further compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (formerly Broadcom MASTERS Competition), with finalist judging in October in Washington DC.
- In addition, in 2024 we had 34 sponsored award organizations, private, professional and governmental organizations present Sponsored Awards based on each organization’s criteria.
