Rooms changed to Arrilaga Building, 3rd floor, for Nov 12 event: Student Clinic plus Teacher/parent workshop at Castilleja School

Meeting rooms will be on the 3rd floor of the Arillaga Building at Castilleja School. In addition to a Teacher / Parent Workshop there will be a Student Clinic on November 12 from 6-7 PM. RSVP to src@science-fair.org to attend the workshop and to blackh@esuhsd.org to attend the clinic.
The student clinic will introduce students to the rules and workings of the fair and describe how to find and develop an idea into a project. Project boards from previous fairs will be displayed.
Teachers and parents will get a more intensive look at the rules and requirements for student participation.

Location: 1130 Bryant Street, Palo Alto 94301. You will be asked to sign in and out at the front desk.
Castilleja has specific, neighborhood-friendly parking instructions and a map. There is visitor parking at the corner of Embarcadero Road and Bryant Street. If you park on the street, be sure to park on the school’s side of the street, not the residential side.

The 2020 Regeneron Science Talent Search application is due on November 13th at 8 PM EST. In addition to ISEF and the Broadcom MASTERS competitions, the Society for Science & the Public also produces Regeneron STS, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious competition for high school seniors.

The competition recognizes 300 student scholars and their schools each year and invites 40 finalists to Washington, D.C. to participate in judging, display their work to the public, and meet with scientists and government leaders. Each year, Regeneron STS scholars and finalists compete for $3.1 million in awards. 

There will be a Teacher / Parent Workshop on November 12 from 6-7 PM at Castilleja School in Palo Alto. RSVP to src@science-fair.org if you want to attend.

The workshop will answer questions about the application process and project requirements. The workshop is recommended for every new teacher and any parent who will supervise a Parent-Sponsored Project.

Please submit applications that require pre-approval as soon as possible. Applications received by Nov. 12 will be reviewed at the mid-November SRC/IRB meeting. Projects that require pre-approval often need extra forms, especially projects involving humans. Submitting at the FINAL deadline (Dec. 3) may not give us enough time to resolve issues and receive all the necessary forms before the final IRB review meeting.

We see many applications in the pipeline and look forward to receiving them soon!

The correct time is 6 PM for both the Teacher/Parent Workshop about SRC procedures and project requirements (RSVP to src@science-fair.org) and the Student/Parent Clinic about how to do a science fair project (RSVP to blackh@esuhsd.org). Both events will be held at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. (details)
The Student Clinic (for parents, too) will answer questions about finding a topic and developing the project from idea to display and oral presentation. The Teacher/Parent Workshop will answer questions about the application process and project requirements. The workshop is strongly recommended for any parent who may need to supervise a Parent-Sponsored Project.

Congratulations to 21 students from the Synopsys Championship who were selected in the Top 300 semi-finalists in the 9th annual Broadcom MASTERS competition and especially to Brian Chen from Harker, one of 10 students from California among the Top 30 finalists.

Broadcom MASTERS competitors are the top 10 percent of 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade projects from science fairs around the US. The Top 300 semi-finalists were selected from 2348 competitors and 30 finalists were announced on September 18th. Finalists will travel to Washington, DC, in October for a 4-day competition that includes individual and team challenges in various STEM disciplines.

Both events will be at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The Student Clinic (for parents, too) will answer questions about finding a topic and developing the project from idea to display and oral presentation. The Teacher/Parent Workshop will answer questions about filling in the application forms and where to get help for supplies and ideas for projects. The workshop is strongly recommended for any parent who may need to supervise a Parent-Sponsored Project.

Learn How to Spread the Word!  High School Alumni, come to a workshop on doing presentations at your local elementary schools. We need to start the youngsters off right, and you can help to make that happen. Santa Clara County Office of Education, Oct 15, 7-8 PM. At the training you will do an experiment you can do as a demonstration, get an experiment kit, take home activities for families, and posters for the teachers. RSVP with Heidi Black blackh@esuhsd.org

The 2020 Rules Changes page is still being revised, but one big change is already in effect: the Behavioral Science field of study has been discontinued (see the note below from the SRC). In addition, the SCVSEFA Category Judging Criteria have been revised to emphasize independent work, project understanding, and clarity in answering judges’ questions. ISEF has expanded its Ethics Statement and rewritten the Roles & Responsibilities of Students and Adults.

Watch this space for an early-October announcement that the 2020 Synopsys Championship application process is open. Beginning in September the science fair web pages will be updated for any changes to rules or forms by SCVSEFA or ISEF.

Meanwhile, first time participants may want to read the pages in the Rules & Registration section about Project Types and Categories as well as Eligibility. The Students section explains the Process of starting a project and Planning & Preparation.