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Organizations: Competitions

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

Held annually in May, students from more than 40 nations compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the grand prize: a $50,000 college scholarship.

Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair (SASEF) (Knoxville, TN)

The Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair is sponsored by The University of Tennessee to develop an outlet for creative energy and analytical skills in our youth. Students in our Senior Division (grades 9-12) compete for two opportunities to represent the SASEF at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Senior team projects also compete for an opportunity to attend ISEF. Students in the Junior Division (grades 6-8) compete separately for their own awards. The younger students learn a great deal by being involved in the competition each year. Through their experience with the fair, they gain insight that will prove useful in future endeavors.

West Tennessee Regional Science Fair (Jackson, TN)

Students in Western Tennessee can compete in this Regional Science Fair.

Organizations: Local

Illinois - Friends of the Gifted and Talented (FRoG) (Downers Grove, IL)

This non-profit organization in Downers Grove, IL, has been a resource for gifted youth and their families for 26 years. FRoG co-sponsors a science fair, offers weekend enrichment programs and has a support group for parents of gifted youth.

Memphis-Shelby County Science and Engineering Fair (MSCSEF) (Memphis, TN)

The mission of the Science and Engineering Fair is to motivate students. This is accomplished in cooperation with the schools, by providing a venue for demonstration of student research, interaction with a judging science or engineering professional, and by the competition for ribbons, certificates, cash awards, and trips. The Fair and the process to create a project to exhibit build on classroom instruction, encouraging the students to investigate and learn at a higher level. The top few at each fair receive an expenses-paid trip to represent Memphis and Shelby County at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), where prizes include full college scholarships, cash awards worth thousands of dollars, and world- wide trips.

Organizations: National

National Lab Day

National Lab Day is a national program to pair scientist mentors with teachers and students who need help with science projects.

Printed Materials: Books

Science Fair Handbook

The Science Fair Handbook is designed to provide you with ideas, strategies, and techniques which will make a planned science fair a pleasant and enjoyable part of your classroom or school science program.

Printed Materials: Periodicals/Reports & Studies

Helping Your Child With Science Fairs and Other Research-Based Competitions

Independent research projects can play an extremely important role in the scientifically talented student’s development. In addition to developing particular skills, such research projects can allow students to become recognized as experts in a particular subject area. It is also worth mentioning that college admissions officials generally recognize the substantial extracurricular effort that independent research requires, and tend to look favorably on students who have successfully completed science fair projects or other similar competitions.

Websites & Other Media: Informational

All Science Fair Projects

This site is designed to help you and your child search for useful ideas and tips for your experiments. Here, you will find literally hundreds of experiments of every kind in every discipline of science from chemistry, biology, physics to even human psychology. We're confident that our powerful color-coded search tool will help quicken your research tremendously. Also, experience shows that many people find it helpful to learn from what others already know. This site strongly suggests that instead of copying these experiments blindly, you try to understand the principles demonstrated and then take those principles and apply them to your own experiment in a different and more creative way.

Internet Public Library: Science Fair Project Resource Guide

This site contains information to help anyone interested in science fairs. Links to "Scientific Method," "Choosing a topic," and "Sample Projects" help get you started, and offers outside links to the best science fair sites.

Kidspace: Science Fair Project Resource Guide

Internet Public Library has put together a useful resource for those trying to participate in or run a science fair. Science Fair Project guidelines include: Getting Started; Choosing a Topic; Completing the Project; Displaying Your Project.

Science Buddies

"Science Buddies offers a pyramid of online programs that maximize the value and student enjoyment of science research projects. Building on a solid base of content that describes how to do a science fair project, Science Buddies engages science and technical professionals in student mentoring. Science Buddies uses its knowledge of specific student needs to develop sophisticated online tools that enable students to "reach higher" as they prepare their projects."

Scifair.org - The Ultimate Science Fair Resource

Scifair.org is the premiere resource for help with science fair projects, science fair ideas, tips on carrying out science fair experiments, and creating winning science fair projects. Whether you need a science fair project idea, or help with any science experiment you are already doing, they can help you.

STEMtube

STEMtube is a website where students can post their science, technology, engineering, and math photos and video links to share with each other. It can help students develop projects and expand on their ideas.

Virtual Library: Science Fairs

This is an attempt to provide a single comprehensive list of all science fairs, whether of global or local scope.

Websites & Other Media: Learning Tools

The Periodic Table of Videos

Tables charting the chemical elements have been around since the 19th century - but this modern version has a short video about each one.