Synopsys Championship 2020 is Going Virtual!

After much discussion and in an abundance of caution, rather than cancel the Synopsys Championship 2020 because of health concerns for our volunteers and participants, we are planning to do all of the judging via videoconferencing between students and judging teams.

A message to students with Accepted projects and their teachers is being sent today. Details will be forthcoming tomorrow. Check your email for updates, which will also be posted on this web page: https://science-fair.org/2020-synopsys-championship-teleconference/.

The SCVSEFA board of directors is meeting today to discuss our options regarding the Championship. We will inform everyone shortly thereafter.

The project database will close at midnight on Friday, Feb. 28. All the information about your project will be locked and no further changes can be made. Please run through a final check as soon as possible:

• Before Feb. 28, send any missing forms, plans, etc. to the person who requested them. Include your project number in the message subject line.
• Check your Project Status using the button on the home page. After Feb. 28 any Incomplete project will move to FTQ (Fail to Qualify).
• Check that the title is correct and student names are spelled correctly.
• Is the Field of Study accurate? This is your last chance to request a change.

On Feb 29th we’ll start printing documents, badges etc. for about 780 projects and 1000+ students, which is why there can be no more changes to the information in the database.

Underserved students are often missing from the finalist groups of science research competitions. In order to change this, the Society for Science & the Public created the Advocate Program to provide mentors to encourage underserved students to enter projects in competitions. The Advocates receive training and support from Society staff, a $3000 stipend and a paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet in person at a weekend-long convening.  We encourage teachers and mentors to apply!

We’re looking for more helping hands at the Synopsys Championship on March 11 & 12. Volunteers are needed to help set up on Day One – when students check in their projects and get ready for judging – and on Day Two, when we set up for Judging Day, help people find their way around, and finish by packing everything away for next year. Parents of students who are competing are welcome to volunteer on Check-In Day. Please sign up on the Volunteers web page!

Please register to be a Category Judge for the 2020 Synopsys Championship Science & Engineering Fair, to be held at the San Jose Convention Center on March 12, 2020. We need and welcome judges in all fields of study.

We are looking for biologists, chemists, engineers, environmental scientists, physicists and others who enjoy talking to enthusiastic young people about scientific inquiry and engineering challenges. Category Judges should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or in education (with a concentration in a technical field). See the Category Judging page for details.

Regeneron Science Talent Search has announced the 2020 Regeneron STS Scholars, who are the Top 300 entrants in this prestigious pre-college competition. 33 students from California have been honored, including 13 students from Santa Clara County schools and 8 students who competed in the 2019 Synopsys Championship. Congratulations to them and especially to Cynthia Chen of Harker School, who is one of 40 Finalists invited to Washington, D.C., in March to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, meet with notable scientists and compete for awards.

Underserved students are often missing from the finalist groups of science research competitions. In order to change this, the Society for Science & the Public created the Advocate Program to provide mentors to encourage underserved students to enter projects in competitions. The Advocates receive training and support from Society staff, a $3000 stipend and a paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet in person at a weekend-long convening.  We encourage teachers and mentors to apply!

Use the Check Project Status button on the home page to be sure your application has been received by SCVSEFA. If you don’t find it listed, contact fairmanager@science-fair.org and we’ll watch for it in the mail. There’s one more pickup before the last SRC meeting on Jan. 25.

All students should complete their projects and be ready to be called for early check-in. Selected students will be notified 2 weeks before the fair that they must check in Sunday, March 8, at Santa Clara University and leave their project boards, notebooks, etc. These students may skip check-in at South Hall on March 11; their boards will be set up by SCVSEFA volunteers. See 2020 Rules Changes for background and details.
The SCVSEFA Board is following the lead of the Society for Science and the Public (SSP), which has a focus on ethics for ISEF 2020. For the Synopsys Championship, SCVSEFA is conducting a thorough check of project documentation and appropriate attribution on the poster boards of selected projects in software engineering, computational biology, and those that required pre-approval.