We look forward to seeing your projects at the Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair on Thursday, March 13. Projects need to be checked in and set up at the CIC Building at WSU Tri-Cities between 8-9am. Judge interviews begin at 9am. See maps, driving directions, and the full fair schedule at: our schedules and maps page.
Projects need to be set up by 9am and remain on display until 5pm
- Middle School Judge Interviews from 9am-2pm
- High School Judge Interviews from 9am-4pm
- Lunch breaks will be staggered between 11am-1pm – El Taccoriendo and Doggie Style Gourmet will be outside the CIC building with food for purchase!
- Public Viewing of Projects: 2pm-5pm
- Projects Need to be removed between 5-7pm. Contact registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org if you need to make alternate arrangements for project pick-up
Judge Interviews – During the fair, everyone will have the chance to explain their project to at least 3 judges. The Judges are local STEM professionals who are excited to hear about your work! We suggest that you prepare a 3-5 minute explanation of your project. The Judges will also ask you questions to learn more about your project.
We have a couple of reminders as you work on your projects for the fair:
Abstract and Project Board PDF/picture Milestones – these milestones inside STEM Wizard are due by 9pm on Monday, March 10. These will be used for the judging of some Special Awards. You can upload a picture of your Project Board or a PDF printout of the files used to make your display.
Display and Safety Review – The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) will be checking display boards, reports / lab notebooks / journals during judging to ensure they follow the rules on the Project Display Information page. The SRC will inspect projects and remove or tape over any items that are not to be displayed on your project. These items can be picked up after judging at the Special Awards Table. A sticker will be placed by your project if it is approved.
- Projects with human participants need to bring their informed consent forms to the fair
- Projects with 1C Forms need to bring these to the fair
Project Display DOs and DON’Ts:
1. DON’T Display the following:
- containers of water/ chemicals/ any other liquids.
- plants, animals, soil, food
- petri dishes with bacteria, containers with soil, baggies with mold, lab equipment
- containers with residues from experiments, explosives, corroded metals or batteries
- flames or sharp objects
DO Use photos of the above items instead
2. DO Focus on the hands of the student working on the experiment if you want to include pictures of the student experimenter.
DON’T include photos with peoples’ faces on your display.
3. DO Include credit lines: photo taken by student… or image from …
DON’T Forget to credit photos and images.
4. DO Plan on alternatives for the use of electricity.
DON’T Plan on electrical outlets. They are not provided.
5. DO make sure your display board can explain your project on its own.
DON’T include active internet connections in your display.
6. DO Place names on back of display boards and on the inside of binders, journals and reports.
DON’T Write your name, school or other institutions on the front of display, binder, report or journal.
7. DO Put acknowledgments in your report
DON’T make references to mentors, social media, QR codes, contact information or display ribbons or awards from other fairs on your display.
8. DO Post abstract on your display board.
DON’T Forget your abstract.
9. DO Focus on the results and conclusion of your experiment on the display board.
DON’T Distribute give-away items such as printed paper info about your project or food samples