Fair Updates and Upcoming Deadlines

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Registration

Here’s some important information about this year’s fair and reminders of upcoming deadlines:

We have a NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR!  The 2025 fair will be held in the CIC Building at WSU Tri-Cities (2770 Crimson Way, Richland WA).  Please see the schedules and maps page  for maps and driving directions.  

Lunch Options: Two food trucks (El Tacoriendo and Doggie Style Gourmet) will have food available for purchase just outside the CIC building during the lunch break.  Item prices range from $3 to $15.  There is a vending machine available in the CIC building.  Students may also bring their own lunch.

Project Display Information: As you prepare for the fair, please read through the rules for your project display: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/project-display-information/  Your project board should fully explain your project on its own – no active internet or email connections are allowed as part of your project display.

Fair Schedule:  See the full fair schedule at: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/students/schedule/  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. 

  • Projects need to be set up by 9am and remain on display until 5pm
  • Middle School Judge Interviews are from 9am-2pm
  • High School Judge Interviews are from 9am-4pm
  • 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 
  • Lunch breaks will be staggered between 11am-1pm.  You’ll receive this schedule at registration.

Upcoming Deadlines:

1) Research Plan and Form Corrections are due by 9pm March 4: The SRC is working to review your projects.  You can check on your project’s approval inside STEM Wizard – milestones turn green with a checkmark once they are approved.  The SRC is sending messages to students who need to make research plan corrections before their research plan can be approved.  Students can view these messages inside STEM Wizard and through the email address they registered in STEM Wizard. Be sure to click the blue SAVE RESEARCH PLAN button after you have made any corrections to your Research Plan.   

The SRC and IRB are also working on approving forms and sending messages about items that need to be corrected before the forms can be approved.  If you get a message that a form was rejected – DON’T PANIC!  A “rejected” form means you need to make corrections to the form – forms will be approved once you make these corrections!  Please make these corrections promptly.  Let us know if you have any questions or need help uploading forms.  You can upload corrected forms into STEM Wizard or email them to “registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org“.  You can see which forms have been approved inside your STEM Wizard account.

2) Additional Information Milestone due by 9pm March 4: This milestone has some short (mostly yes/no) questions that may qualify your project for certain special awards.

3) Abstract and Project Board PDF (Picture) Milestones due by 9pm March 10:  The Project Board PDF milestone is for you to upload a picture of your project board.  This should be a picture of ONLY your board – you should NOT be in the picture.  These will be used for judging some Special Awards.

Good luck with your projects!  Let us know if you have any questions.

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Teacher Information

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Registration

We are looking forward to seeing your students’ projects at WSU Tri-Cities on Thursday, March 13!  This post has some important updates and reminders about this year’s fair.  

We have a NEW FAIR LOCATION: The Fair will be in the CIC Building at WSU Tri-Cities.  Please see the schedules and maps page on our website for maps and driving directions.  (CIC stands for Consolidated Information Center.)

Certificate of Insurance: All schools need to supply a current Certificate of Insurance to the Mid-Columbia Science Fair.  Certificates should be sent to Eva Baroni at eva.baroni@icloud.com.  Instructions and an example certificate are at: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/teachers/teachers-documentation/

Stipends: MCSF has stipends available to help defray travel and/or substitute teacher expenses.  One $100 stipend is available per school.  If you are interested, email fair director Joyce Stark at: joyce.stark@sunnysideschools.org.  Include your school’s mailing address.  Checks will be payable to the school and sent after the fair.

Schedule: The general fair schedule is on our website at  https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/students/schedule/  Lunch breaks are staggered by division to avoid crowding in lunch areas – the lunch schedule will be handed out at registration.  Project Displays need to be set up by 9am and remain set up until 5pm.  Projects can be taken home between 5 and 7pm.   If you have any students who are not able to remove their displays during this time, email registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org to make alternate arrangements. 

Lunch Options:   The El Tacorriendo and Doggie Style Gourmet Food Trucks will be available just outside the CIC building between 11am-1pm.   They accept cash and card payments, and prices range from $3 to $16.  Vending machines are available in the CIC Building.  Students may also bring their own lunch from home/school.

Project Review: The SRC is working to review projects and will send messages to students if they need to make corrections to their Research Plans or Forms.  Please encourage your students to complete these corrections promptly so their projects can be approved.  Tell your students not to panic if they get a message that a form was rejected – that just means they need to make a correction on the form or scan. Let us know if you have any questions or need help uploading forms.  You and your students can see which forms have been approved inside your STEM Wizard accounts.

Registration Deadlines:
February 11: Research Plans and Forms deadline for any project needing SRC or IRB pre-approval
February 19: Registration deadline – Research Plan and Forms must be in by 9pm
March 4: Deadline to complete any corrections requested by the SRC
March 4: Deadline to complete the Additional Information Milestone – yes/no questions that may qualify a project for some special awards
March 10: Deadline to complete the Abstract and Project Board PDF milestones – this information will be used by Judges and Special Awards

Project Display Information: Please make sure your students are aware of the rules for their project display: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/project-display-information/  No active internet or email connections are allowed as part of the project display.   This page also has some example templates for students who want some guidance on what to include on their display board.

Interpreters: If you have ESL students, you may bring support staff from your school to Interpret for these students during the Judge Interviews. Display boards must be in English. Email judging@midcolumbiasciencefair.org by March 5 with the names of students who will be receiving interpreting services and the names of the interpreters.

Payment: The participation fee of $5 per student will be collected when you check in at the fair.  We ask that teachers who are bringing a group of students collect payment for all their students and then submit one single payment at fair check-in.  Payment by Purchase Order or Check is highly preferred. Payment may be made by check, PO, or cash.

WSSEF: Students who participate in the Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair are also eligible to participate in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF).  We’ll send more information about WSSEF in early March and will open up a new milestone then where students can indicate if they want to participate at WSSEF.  Projects will be electronically promoted to the WSSEF STEM Wizard site after the Mid-Columbia Fair.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

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Registration Deadline Reminder

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Registration

The deadline for entering Research Plans and ISEF forms in STEM Wizard is Wednesday February 19 (with an earlier deadline of Tuesday February 11 if the project requires SRC pre-approval – see Tip 4 about SRC pre-approval below).  Project registration is done by completing a series of “milestones” in STEM Wizard account. Milestones will turn green with a checkmark once they have been approved.  (If a project doesn’t require SRC/IRB pre-approval, students can begin experimentation as soon as their adult sponsor has approved their research plan and their forms are signed.)

We’re receiving a lot of incomplete Research Plans this year – please follow the tips below to ensure the SRC has the information they need to review your project:

Tip 1: Research Plans should be approved by the teacher / Adult Mentor BEFORE students enter them in STEM Wizard!

Tip 2: Research Plans should include the following:

  • Procedure:  This section should include a numbered list of steps and a list of materials.  It needs to have enough detail that the SRC can understand exactly how the student will complete their experiment.
  • Data Analysis: This section explains the types of calculations you plan to do after you collect your data.  Middle School projects should state that they will be calculating averages and graphing their data.  High School projects should also include what statistics they will be calculating.
  • Risk and Safety: This section needs to include the steps the student is taking to stay safe while conducting their experiment.  For example, students working with chemicals should state they will be wearing goggles, gloves, and an apron.  
  • Bibliography: Needs to include at least 5 specific sources – webpages should include the full url, books and journal articles need to include the title, author, and publication date

Tip 3: Check that the scans/pictures of forms are clear and include the entire form – Also check that forms are complete and have all signatures and dates! We’re getting a lot of Form 1’s that are missing the checkmark next to the attestation statement just above the Adult Sponsor signature.  See https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/students/src-irb/#Examples for directions and examples of completed forms.

Tip 4: SRC Pre-Approval – Some types of projects require pre-approval from the SRC or IRB BEFORE students can begin collecting data!  This includes projects with vertebrate animals, human subjects (including surveys and testing on yourself), recombinant DNA, human or animal tissue, pathogenic agents, and controlled substances.   The DEADLINE to enter Research Plans AND Forms for projects that need SRC pre-approval is 9pm Tuesday February 11.  

Please be mindful that our SRC and IRB reviewers are volunteering their time, and understand that it may take 7-10 days for them to complete review of your project.  See https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/students/src-irb/ for more details about what needs to be included in the research plan for projects with human subjects, vertebrates, pathogens, and hazardous substances – including all the listed information will speed up the review process!

Tip 5: Bacteria projects cannot be completed at home.  If a project studies bacteria, we suggest ordering the K-12 strain of E. coli from Carolina Biological Supply. This strain is exempt from pre-approval, but students must state that they are using the K-12 strain of E. coli in your procedure and purchase from Carolina.

Tip 6: Check your email! The SRC reviewers will send students a message if they need to make Research Plan or Forms corrections. Please make these corrections promptly so projects can be approved.

Tip 7: Projects must follow all MCSF Rules, including our rule about the use of AI: Honesty is expected during every phase of the project.  Your science project must be your own work. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) may NOT be used to design your experiment, write any part of your project, or create your display.  Your project must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism, or inappropriate use of AI.

Please email registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org if you have any questions about registering for the fair.

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Congratulations Dr. Devagupta!

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Registration

Long-time Mid-Columbia Science Fair mentor, teacher, and supporter, Dr. Rama Devagupta, has received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), one of the nation’s highest awards for K-12 STEM educators. Dr. Devagupta teaches biology at Kennewick’s Southridge High School. The PAEMST award program recognizes educators from across the United States for the passion, dedication, and impact in the classroom.

Dr. Devagupta is one of 335 teachers and mentors from around the United States who was chosen for this honor. She will receive a certificate, $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, and an all-expenses paid trip to the awards ceremony. Learn more about the PAESMT program at: https://paemst.nsf.gov

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What’s NEW for the 2025 Fair

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Registration

We’ve got lots of NEW things happening in 2025!

NEW LOCATION: The 2025 Fair will be held at WSU Tri-Cities. See the Schedule and Maps Page for location information. More details will be added closer to the fair. We thank WSU Tri-Cities for their support of local STEM education!

NEW RULES: Students and teachers should make sure they are familiar with all fair rules, including on new rule on the use of AI and ISEF’s rule that projects may not be changed between the regional fair and the State or International fair. See the Rules Page for details.

NEW “Project In A Box” PROGRAM: We’re launching a program to introduce 6th grade classes to the fair. Classes work together to design and complete a science project based on a theme. MCSF will provide a box of supplies. We have a limited number of boxes available – contact us at registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org if you’d like your class to participate.

We’re on Facebook and Instagram! Follow us @midcolumbiasciencefair for information and updates.

NEW MILESTONES: Students will see two new milestones this year. The “IRB – Human Participants” milestone helps students doing projects with human subjects enter all the needed information into STEM Wizard. In the “Project Board PDF” milestone, students will upload a photo or pdf of their project board. This will be used for some special awards judging.

NEW ISEF FORM Examples: We’ve posted instructions, examples of completed forms, and a list of commonly missed items to check before submitting forms on our SRC / IRB page.

We hope to see you at the 70th annual Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair on March 13! Register by February 19. (The registration deadline is February 11 for projects that require SRC or IRB pre-approval.)

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New Rules for 2025

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Registration

We’ve added two rules for the 2025 fair. Students and teachers should makes sure they are familiar with all fair rules, as listed on the Rules Page.

NEW RULE: Honesty is expected during every phase of the project.  Your science project must be your own work. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) may NOT be used to design your experiment, write any part of your project, or create your display.  Your project must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism, or inappropriate use of AI.

NEW RULE: After competing at your Regional Fair, projects may not be changed for WSSEF or ISEF. You may collect additional data using the SAME methodology that was approved by your regional fair and/or update your project display with additional data analysis.

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Student registration for the 2025 fair is now open

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Registration

Registration for the 2025 Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair is now open. Project registration is done on our STEM Wizard page at:  https://mcsf.stemwizard.com. Teachers should register for a teacher account before their students register.

2025 Registration Deadlines:

  • 2/11/25: for projects that require SRC or IRB pre-approval (see note below)
  • 2/19/25: for all other projects
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: Projects that use live vertebrate animals, recombinant DNA, human or animal tissue, pathogenic agents, or controlled substances need pre-approval by the SRC. Projects that have human participants (including surveys or any measurement done on the researcher) need pre-approval by the IRB. The DEADLINE for requesting this review is February 11, 2025. See the Scientific Review Committee page for more information

What’s NEW for the 2025 Fair:

NEW LOCATION:  The 2025 fair will be held at WSU Tri-Cities (2710 Crimson Way, Richland WA).  Visit the schedule page for more information.

We’re on Facebook and Instagram! Follow us at midcolumbiasciencefair 

Rules Update: We have two rule updates.  See the Rules page for all the fair rules.

  1. NEW Rule on Ethics and Use of AI: Honesty is expected during every phase of the project.  Your science project must be your own work. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) may NOT be used to design your experiment, write any part of your project, or create your display.  Your project must not include fraudulent data, plagiarism, or inappropriate use of AI.
  2. NEW ISEF RULE about Project Changes: After competing at your Regional Fair, projects may not be changed for WSSEF or ISEF.  You MAY collect additional data using the SAME methodology that was approved by your regional fair and/or update your project display with additional data analysis  

Example Forms: We’ve added more directions and examples of the ISEF forms required for all projects on the Scientific Review Committee page.

New Milestones: You’ll see two new milestones in STEM Wizard this year:

  1. IRB – Human Participants This is to help students with human participant projects enter all the information required by ISEF.  
  2. Project Board PDF – In this milestone, you’ll upload either a picture or PDF of your project board.  This will be used for some Special Awards judging.

Please let us know if you have any questions.  We look forward to seeing your project at this year’s fair!

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Two MCSF students named as American Junior Academy of Sciences delegates!

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Registration

Congratulations to Isabella Pinto and Nicole Samaan, both from Hanford High School, who were recently named as delegates to the American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS)! Isabella and Nicole will now travel with the other Washington State delegates on an expenses-paid trip to attend the 2025 AJAS conference, which will be held in Boston, Massachusetts.

The American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS) is a program of National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) to recognize American high school students for outstanding scientific research. The Washington State Academy of Sciences nominates students to serve as AJAS delegates representing Washington State at the annual AJAS conference. This program is meant to recognize talented young scientists and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM fields. Learn more about AJAS and see the full list of Washington State delegates at: https://washacad.org/washington-state-american-junior-academy-of-sciences-delegates/

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NEW Project In A Box Program!

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Registration

Attention 6th Grade Science Teachers – the Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair is launching a new program this year to introduce your 6th graders to the science fair and the process of completing an inquiry-based science project. Please see the flyer below for more information. Contact us if you have any questions.

Project-In-A-Box-Flyer-v2Download
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MCSF Student Named a Top 300 Junior Innovator!

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Registration

Congratulations to Rohan Nune for being named one of the top 300 middle school innovators in the Thermo-Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge! Rohan was selected from the nearly 2,000 students from 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands who entered the contest. Rohan was nominated to enter the Thermo Fisher JIC by both the Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair and the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

Rohan completed his project, “Powering the Future: Iron-Based Batteries for Sustainable Energy Storage”, while he was an 8th grader at Leona Libby Middle School in West Richland. Each of the Top 300 Junior Innovators will receive a $125 award from DoD STEM, plus a prize package that includes a one-year subscription to Wolfram Mathematica software, courtesy of Wolfram Research.

He is now in the running to be one of the top 30 finalists chosen to compete for more than $100,000 in awards and prizes. Finalists will be announced September 18. Best of luck Rohan!

You can learn more about the Thermo-Fisher JIC on the Society for Science website.

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