Genius Olympiad 2023

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Registration

Congratulations to the three students who recently presented their Mid-Columbia Regional Science & Engineering Fair projects at the 2023 Genius Olympiad. Navaj Nune won the opportunity to participate from MCSF, and Ruth Wise Maldonado and Nicole Samaan were chosen to participate from the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair. Ruth won a bronze medal for her project, and Navaj won a gold medal for his work!

The Genius Olympiad is a high school competition focused on finding solutions to pressing environmental issues.Learn more about the Genius Olympiad at: https://geniusolympiad.org

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2023 MCSF Awards!

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Registration

Congratulations to all students who entered projects in the 2023 Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair! It was great to have the fair be back in person this year! The full list of MCSF and Special Award winners has been posted at: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/2023-awards/ Thank you to all the organizations and companies who sponsored awards for this year’s fair!

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Project Display Dos and Don’ts

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Registration

We look forward to seeing your projects at the Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair this Thursday, March 9!  The fair will be in-person at the Columbia Center Mall in Kennewick.  Projects need to be checked in and set up between 8-9am.   Judge interviews begin at 9am.  We have a couple of reminders as you finish up your project displays for the fair:

Abstracts – the Abstract milestone inside STEM Wizard is due by 9pm on Monday, March 6.

Display and Safety Review – Check your projects before coming to the Columbia Center Mall:

The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) will be checking display boards, reports / lab notebooks / journals during judging.  Since the fair is at the Columbia Center Mall it is important NOT to have items displayed  that are dangerous to the public and also to 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 near Macy’s.  A sticker will be placed on your project if it is approved.

1.  DO Use photos of the following items.
     DO NOT Display containers of water/ chemicals/ any other liquids.
DO NOT Display plants, animals, soil, examples of food (veggies, fruit), petri  dishes with bacteria or containers with  soil,  baggies with mold,  lab equipment.  
DO NOT Display containers with residues or waste from experiments, explosives, corroded metals or batteries.
DO NOT Display products from stores.

2.  DO Include a Credit line: photo taken by student… or image from …  
     DO NOT Forget to credit photos.

3.  DO Place names on back of display boards and on the inside of binders, journals and reports to help with removal of projects at the end of the fair.  Put acknowledgments in your report .
     DO NOT Write your name, school or other institutions on the front of display or your binder, report or journal, or make references to mentor, social media, addresses, QR codes, telephone, fax , emails or display ribbons or awards from other fairs.    

4.  DO Post abstract on your display board.
     DO NOT Forget your abstract.  

5.  DO Focus on the results and conclusion of your experiment on the display board.  
     DO NOT Distribute give-away items such as printed paper info about yourself or project or food samples.  

6.  DO Plan on alternatives for the use of electricity.
     DO NOT Plan on electrical outlets. They are not provided.  

7.  DO make sure your display board can explain your project on its own.  
     DO NOT include active internet connections in your display.  

8.  DO Focus on the hands of the student working on the experiment if you want to include pictures of the student experimenter.
     DO NOT include photos with peoples’ faces on your display.  

Good luck with your projects!

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Teacher Announcements

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Registration

Teachers, please be aware of the following.  We look forward to seeing your students’ projects in person at this year’s fair!

Certificate of Insurance: All schools need to have a current Certificate of Insurance on file at the Columbia Center Mall.  Certificates should be sent to Kelly Odland at kodland@simon.com.  More instructions and an example certificate are at: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/teachers/teachers-documentation/

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.

Stipends MCSF has stipends available to help defray travel and/or substitute teacher expenses.  One $50 stipend is available per school.  If you are interested, please email fair director Joyce Stark at: director@midcolumbiasciencefair.org .  Include your school’s mailing address.  Checks will be sent after the fair.

Project Display Information Please make sure your students are aware of the rules for their project display: https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/project-display-information/

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 with the names of students who will be receiving interpreting services and the names of the interpreters.

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Project Registration Deadline is February 13 at 9pm

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Registration

This is a reminder that the deadline for students to complete their “Research Plan” and “Files and Forms” milestones is just a week away, on Monday, February 13 at 9pm. If you have any questions about completing these milestones, please ask so we can help you complete your registration. We look forward to seeing your projects at the fair!

Deadlines for the 2023 MCSF:

  • Feb 13 at 9pm: “Research Plan” and “Files & Forms” milestones due
  • Feb 13 at 9pm:  deadline for SRC or IRB pre-approval (if needed)
  • Feb 28 at 9pm: deadline to make any requested corrections to your Research Plan and/or Files & Forms
  • Feb 28 at 9pm: “Additional Information” milestone due
  • March 6 at 9pm: “Abstract” milestone due

Reminders:

  • Please check that all your forms have signatures and dates before you upload them.
  • While there are a few exceptions, projects involving human subjects (including surveys and testing on yourself), animals, and bacteria typically require project approval from the SRC or IRB BEFORE experimentation can begin. 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. Please respond promptly to any questions the SRC or IRB reviewers send to you.
  • No bacteria projects can be completed at home
  • If you edit your research plan after it has been approved, it will switch back to “Not Approved”

Let us know if you have any questions:

registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org for questions about registering in STEM Wizard
src@midcolumbiasciencefair.org for questions about SRC approval
irb@midcolumbiasciencefair.org for questions about projects with human subjects
director@midcolumbiasciencefair.org for overall fair questions

Good luck with your projects!

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Judge Registration Now Open!

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Registration

We are seeking around 130 qualified judges for this year’s Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair.  Judges will interview students starting at 9am on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at the Columbia Center Mall in Kennewick WA. If you have a scientific, engineering, health, agriculture or food sciences background and think you might enjoy interacting with young scientists at the Fair, please volunteer to help judge by registering as a Judge at: mcsf.stemwizard.com. Check out https://midcolumbiasciencefair.org/judges/ for more details about Judging at the Mid-Columbia Science and Engineering Fair. 

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MCSF Student wins Congressional App Challenge!

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Registration

Congratulations to Richland High School’s Advaitha Motkuri for winning the central Washington Congressional App challenge! Advaitha’s app, People’s Pupil: A Detection in Intoxication, is a continuation of the work she presented at the 2022 Mid-Columbia Science Fair. The app uses pupil size to detect levels of intoxication, calling for a ride-share service if the person is identified as too intoxicated to drive. Read more about Advaitha’s project and the Congressional App Challenge at: https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-winners-2022-congressional-app-challenge.

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Registration Now Open!

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Registration

Student registration is now open for the 2023 Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Please see the Student Registration page for details and the link to the MCSF STEM Wizard page to begin your registration. Email registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org if you have any questions about registration. We look forward to seeing your projects at this year’s fair!

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Teacher Information Meeting on Nov. 8

Posted on October 6, 2022 by Registration

Teachers interested in learning about the 2023 Mid-Columbia Regional Science and Engineering Fair are invited to attend a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, November 8 from 4-5pm. During this meeting, the Fair Director and SRC and IRB Chairs will give an overview of the fair, explain the process for student registration & answer questions about the SRC and IRB review process. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the MCSF website for teachers who cannot attend on 11/8.

Please register for a teacher account at: https://mcsf.stemwizard.com/ or send an email to registration@midcolumbiasciencefair.org to be added to the contact list for this meeting. We will send the Zoom link by email in early November.

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Two MCSF students chosen for the American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS)

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Registration

Congratulations to Ourania-Maria Glezakou-Elbert from Hanford High School and Ruth Wise-Maldonado from Sunnyside High School, who were recently named to the American Junior Academy of Sciences (AJAS)! Ourania and Ruth will now have the opportunity to attend the annual AJAS conference, which will be held in March in Washington DC. You can learn more about the projects by Ourania, Ruth, and the other Washington State delegates at: https://washacad.org/2023-ajas-awardees/

Here’s the description of AJAS from the Washington State Academy of Sciences website: The American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) is the only national honor society recognizing America’s premier high school students for outstanding scientific research. The AJAS mission is to introduce, encourage, and accelerate pre-college students into the professional world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each state’s Academy of Science nominates high school students as AJAS delegates. The chosen delegates are then invited to attend the AJAS annual conference, which is held in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting. During the conference, AJAS delegates tour local institutions of scientific importance, share their research with their peers and with other scientists, attend conference sessions, and are inducted as lifetime Fellows into the American Junior Academy of Science.

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