If you are in charge of coordinating a science fair at your school, it is best to start about 9 to 12 months ahead of time. The following list will help you through the process.

Getting Started

• Recruit volunteers, teachers and parents to be on a science fair committee.
• With the committee’s help, establish a project timeline that will be distributed to all students.
• Schedule the gym for the fair and room for the judges to meet.
• Schedule school awards ceremony.
• Meet with members of the science department and an administrator to decide on the format of the fair.
• Select date when the science fair will be introduced.
• Decide if participation will be mandatory or voluntary.
• Decide how teachers will encourage students to participate.
• Decide what if any prizes will be offered.
• Schedule the time and the facilities for the fair.
• Schedule time for class and parent viewing of projects.
• Be sure you will have access to enough tables for exhibits.

Preparing for the Fair

Get parents involved

Develop a package of material to send to parents that includes the following:

• A cover letter from the principal and the science fair coordinator to introduce the science fair to parents.
• Introduce science fair and the reasons students should participate in the program.
• Provide a timeline of important project dates, after-school work sessions and the actual science fair date.

Provide an overview of the rules

• Explain the parent’s role in the child’s project.
• Request volunteers and provide a list of possible duties.
• Request mentors to help students with projects.
• Request prize donations.

Prepare students

• Announce dates for the science fair.
• Provide rules and forms to the students as they plan their projects.
• Collect student applications for review. Assign project numbers.
• Conduct after-school project work sessions when students are done with projects and are ready to assemble their exhibit board.
• Schedule a classroom that can be used for project work after school.
• Schedule parent or college student volunteers to help and mentor students at the after-school sessions.
• Have supplies, felt pens, construction paper, and computers for word processing available if possible.
Note: Allow students to leave their boards at school if possible. (You will need a secure location to store project boards between sessions.)

Recruit and prepare judges

• Recruit judges at least three months prior to the fair.
• Create a recruiting letter, distribute and follow up by phone
• Local volunteer agencies
• Industry community affairs offices
• Medical offices, hospitals
• Local college science departments
• Create a judges form
• Provide judges with judging guidelines and procedure.
• Call judges to remind them of their commitment a few weeks before the fair.

Set up scoring and judging criteria

• Prepare a scoring rubric that provides judges with a way to assign a point total for each project. (See judging guidelines for Intel ISEF scale).
• Supply your judges with your scoring rubric prior to the fair to allow them time to become familiar and to ask questions as needed.
• Review judging criteria with your judges the day of the fair.
Note: If possible, have each project judged by two judges. This will be helpful if there are any issues regarding a project.

Arrange for ribbons and awards

• Order ribbons and certificates for students (You may be able to create the certificates with a word processor). Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.
• Decide if anyone will receive medals and order them.
• If prizes are donated, decide how they will be awarded.
• Present prizes at school awards ceremony.

One Week Prior to the Fair

• Finalize volunteer assignments:
• Gym set-up
• Student check-in & collection of student display form
• Help students to set up projects
• Safety monitor
• Provide refreshments for the judges
• Gym clean-up

• Create student display form: name, type of project, and project number.
• Create judging assignments.

Day of the Fair

• Meet with the judges to review judging criteria and judging assignments.
• Tabulate scores from judges.
• Decide on a school winner. It’s nice to announce the same day.
• Make a list of the finalists who will move onto the next fair (district, regional, etc.).
• Keep projects on display for staff, student, and parent viewing.

After the Fair

• Students pick up projects.
• Volunteers clean up display area and return tables.
• Write thank you notes to judges and volunteers.
• Congratulate all who participated on a job well done!
• Meet with science fair committee to discuss the fair process, what went well, what needs to change.
• Recruit students with superior projects to present at science classes, to encourage participation next year. Let them help spread the word.
• Ask classroom teachers to encourage their students to start new projects over the summer.
• Get started on next year’s fair!