About the Fair
The Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair Association, SCVSEFA, designs the Synopsys Championship to stimulate interest in science and technology for 6th – 12th grade students from public and private schools. The philosophy behind the Fair is simple– students learn science by doing science.
We provide a forum for students to present their scientific work, interact with scientists and receive feedback on their efforts. Students are awarded non-monetary recognition and cash prizes for outstanding work. Winners from the Synopsys Championship are awarded trips to the California Science & Engineering Fair (CSEF) and the affiliated Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Volunteer Opportunities
Day 1: Help set up the Exhibit Hall- San Jose Convention Center, South Hall (Wednesday of Fair Week)
Many hands are needed to physically set up the Hall and help students get registered. No experience is required, and there are a large variety of jobs to be done. Come and join the fun for any time period you are able.
Day 2: Volunteer at the Fair (Thursday of Fair Week)
Volunteers are needed as door monitors, to help judges and students navigate the fair, sell t-shirts and pack up at the end of the day.
Day 2: Be a Judge at the Fair (Thursday of Fair Week)
Judging will take place at the San Jose Convention Center on Thursday from 1 -5pm and will meet with student participants and review and rank their projects. Category judging is done in teams organized by discipline area to determine place awards (1st, 2nd, Honorable Mention). Qualifications include a degree in science, engineering, computer science, math, or equivalent.If interested please contact the category-judging committee. In addition, scientists working for various agencies in the Bay Area also judge the projects for sponsored awards given by their sponsoring company/agency. Beginning Dec. 1st, register here to be a judge. Please note that we do welcome parents as Category Judges as long as they do not talk to their children or children’s friends during judging.
Join the Scientific Review Committee
Be a part of an established group of professional scientists and teachers that evaluate project applications before competition. We welcome members with backgrounds in molecular biology, software engineering, materials science, engineering or chemistry are all useful. SRC members do not need to be on the Board of Directors. The SRC reviews applications in the October to January time frame and meets, online or in-person, on a few Saturday mornings. If interested please contact the src@science-fair.org.
Other General Activities you can do to help
Science fair also needs volunteers before and after the busy science fair days. Some General Volunteer Opportunities include:
* Serving as an SRC reviewer
* Publicity
* Fundraising
* Judge Recruiting
* Help at the Awards Ceremony
Interested in volunteering? Send us an email! Visit our Contact page and select Volunteer Opportunities.
