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This page shows competitions and contests where you can enter your research. Scroll down for tips on preparing your science fair project.

NEW! Science Fair Preparation Tips by Ashley Hall, Grand Prize Winner at the 2005 Bay Area Science Fair (scroll down)

Contests and Opportunities

Scolarships

This web page gives an excellent listing of college scholarships.

http://oedb.org/library/financial-aid/hacking-financial-aid

Journals

*RBSE Journal (For students working on RBSE related research.)
The Empiricist (High school refereed research journal)
Journal of Undergraduate Sciences (accepts H.S. entries)
*ESPACE Academy Journal of Research and Outreach (for DVHS students)

Internships

COSMOS (UC internships in a variety of areas including astrophysics)
Lawrence Berkeley Lab High School student internships
Jobstar summary (Lists many internships on a variety of topics)
Monte Vista H.S. summary page for internships (mostly bio, but some may be of interest to earth science)
*NASA Summer Apprenticeship program SHARP--Note: PROGRAM HAS ENDED

* Deer Valley ESPACE Students have participated, submitted and been accepted, or won

Science Fair Preparation Tips

by Ashley Hall

How to Qualify for a Science Fair:

• Complete an in depth research project.
• Write a complete research paper that has been edited by teachers or peers.
What do I do next?
• Research the qualifications for a science fair.
• Fill out necessary paper work.
• Some fairs require a poster and some require a PowerPoint.
• Read the rules very closely. Each fair is different.
Set-Up and Display Tips:
• Arrive at the fair location early to avoid and/or fix any problems or violations. There is typically a safety and display review committee that will review your project and approve them. Make sure that you have all of the necessary paper work filled out.
• Typically a table is provided to display your projects and models on, but at some fairs you have to request one. If you need electricity you can request it, but the rules are very strict in regards to the safety of the public.
• Sometimes your abstract has to be pre-approved and you do not get it until the day of the fair. It is a good idea to bring a picture frame to put the abstract in.
Proper Dress:
• Be prepared to stand by your project for a long time so wear something comfortable but professional. This includes suits, skirts, sweaters, and slacks for girls and suits with ties for boys.
Poster Tips:
• Do NOT glue your entire paper on the poster. It is only necessary to put the important concepts and sections on it. Such sections include Background/Introduction, Purpose, Abstract, Hypothesis, Variable, Procedure, Conclusion, some sort of Verification if a new method is involved, and any Pictures or Graphs used.
• Every Picture must be explained and in that explanation it should state where the picture was obtained.
• Think of your poster like a PowerPoint presentation. Brief, but to the point. Everything that you could need to answer questions or explain your research should be on the poster or next to it on the display table.
• Making a model can be useful for clarity.
• When gluing down your information and pictures it is important to place them so that the eye moves smoothly through the poster. Balance is vital and symmetry is good. Click for Sample Posters.
PowerPoint Tips:
• Make sure that your PowerPoint is easy to read in regards to the font size, type, and color.
• Practice it beforehand and make sure that you meet the time requirements.
• Do not put too much information on one slide.
• Pictures and Illustrations are helpful.
• Typically after your presentation their will be questioning from the judges. Be prepared for this. When they ask a question make sure that you repeat the question and do not address them specifically with your answer. Address the entire audience.
• Make sure to be polite and avoid an argument with a judge over a question.
Interview Tips:
• Prior to the judges interviews or PowerPoint presentations have someone who thoroughly understands your research question you so much that you want to cry. Trust me, it helps.
• Practice your presentation skills by doing as many presentations as you can.
• During or before your interviews do not be nervous; remember that you are the expert. It is your research and no one else’s.
• Do not rush your answers. Think about what you are going to say before you say it and answer the question completely. Do not move on to the next question if the judge or person does not understand. If they do not understand then you are not explaining it properly. Find another way.
• Always be polite. Welcome the judges with a smile and by introducing yourself with a handshake. End the interview with a handshake and thank them up and down for their time.
• Remember that the judges are not there to falsify your research; they are there to understand what you did.

Jeff Adkins, Director
astronomyteacher@mac.com

Cheryl Domenichelli, Assistant Director
cheryldomenichelli@antioch.k12.ca.us

4700 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA 94531

The ESPACE Academy is sponsored in part by a grant from the California Department of Education's Specialized Secondary Program.