We are so excited that you are interested in joining us for the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair.
Before you Begin!
Make sure to complete some of the following items BEFORE you begin registration.
1st Determine if you want to compete for awards and prizes or if you would like to exhibit only!
Competing Division
(Grades 6-8 Eligible)
Competing Divisions
High School - Students in grades 9-12
Middle School - Students in grades 6-8
Showcase Division
Students in grades 5-11
Showcase Division
(Grades 5-11 Eligible)
6th Check your Emails!
If you didn't catch your Regional STEM Fair ID Number during registration, you will receive a notification email with it listed.
BE SURE TO WRITE YOUR REGIONAL STEM FAIR ID NUMBER (or numbers if you're on a team) ON THE BACK OF YOUR PROJECT BOARD.
Be sure to check your SPAM folders for our emails as we will let you know if your registration is missing anything up until the event!
Project Registration
2nd Make sure that you can enter the Fair and that your schedule is clear for the entire day of the Event!
Read the General Information and FAQ pages if you have some questions.
3rd Decide on your topic and develop your experiment or design.
DON'T START EXPERIMENTING YET!!
Remember your registration needs to be completed PRIOR to your experimentation.
4th Use the Student Checklist and the Road map to Registration to help you prepare for registration.
Complete the necessary items in order to make registration easier.
5th YOU'RE READY!
Begin registration using the buttons below.
Make sure you take note of your Regional STEM Fair ID Number!
Your Regional STEM Fair ID Number will be used to identify your project and
MUST be on the back of your Display Board.
Competing Division
(Grades 9-12 Eligible)
7th Submit Additional Pieces of your Project!
Submit your required Project Video, and your optional Project PDF and Quad Chart using the buttons below.
Submit Project PDF
Submit Quad Chart
Submit Project Video
Display Info for Virtual STEM Fair
Project Presentation, 2-Minute Project Video, and Quad Chart
Project Presentation/Display Info. Students will have five minutes to give judges a presentation on their project (which can be made using PowerPoint or other presentation software, a tri-fold board, a Quad Chart, or some other presentation that involves the student making a live presentation to the judges), and the judges will have five minutes to ask questions of each student. Students will have the ability to share their screen. Once their allotted time elapses, students will be automatically removed from the breakout rooms.
Project PDF. For ISEF, presentations will be reduced to a single PDF document limited to no more than 12 pages. This will replace the traditional tri-fold board you would normally produce for a STEM Fair. All text should be easily readable when viewing the entire page at once. The smallest allowable font size of body text is 14-pt., and an 18-pt. font is recommended. Exception: You may use a smaller font size, down to 10 pt., for figure captions or photo credits. More instructions here. The Sacramento Regional STEM Fair recommends students complete this requirement prior to the Fair, but this document is not a requirement of the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair 2021. You can submit the Project PDF here.
Project Video. Students will also be required to produce a project video, summarizing your project at a high level to be used primarily for the public display of projects. While judges at ISEF will be given access to all of the materials you submit, they will be using the video if they need to perform further review your project. ISEF has asked that the videos do not include in-depth information, but rather make a brief 2-minute high-level overview. As it is now a requirement of ISEF, the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair has decided to make it a requirement as well. You can submit the video here! Additional video requirements available here. Videos will be due no later than March 1, 2021.
Quad Chart. A “quad chart” is a single page divided into four quadrants providing a high-level summary of the project. It is intended to be more visual than detailed to quickly introduce your judges to what is important about your project. The chart is broken up into four important sections: Research Question/ Engineering Objectives, Methodology/Project Design, Data Analysis & Results, Interpretation & Conclusions. Learn more here. The Sacramento Regional STEM Fair recommends students complete this requirement prior to the Fair, but this document is not a requirement of the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair 2021. You can submit the Quad Chart here!
Helpful Websites
Sites to Help with Getting Started
1. Sparticl - A new web and mobile service for teens that collects the best internet resources in STEM. (www.sparticl.org)
Sites to Help with Research
2. The National Science Digital Library - An online library for those interested in education and research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (www.nsdl.org)
Fun Sites
3. Code.org - This website has helpful tutorials on the basis of computer science, coding and programming. It even lets you learn coding with simple building blocks while playing your favorite games like "Angry Birds"! (www.Code.org)
4. Science News for Students! Pretty self-explanatory, but this news site can help you see what real world problem professional scientists and engineers are tackling - maybe you have a better solution? (Student.societyforscience.org/sciencenews-students)
Category Selection
Judged Categories
The categories listed below are those that will be used at the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair. Many projects could easily fit into more than one category. We highly recommend that you review the entire listing of the categories before choosing a category that most accurately describes your project. Category judges are experts in their assigned field. These categories are judged based on either a Scientific Process or Engineering Design Process rubric. Please see below for information regarding your specific category:
Note: Students are able to change their selected category up until 2 weeks prior to the scheduled STEM Fair. Students are NOT able to change categories on-site.
You can also view the ISEF Categories here.
Remember: Once you have your idea, please ensure you will be following the Rules & Guidelines. Be sure to read the Student Handbook for help with the Scientific Method! Begin the electronic registration, using the Registration Guide to help you.
Scientific Process Categories:
Engineering Design Process Categories:
Interview Tips
Remember: You will begin with a short 2-3 minute presentation about your project BEFORE the judges ask you any questions. Here are some tips:
Clothing
Please dress your best, there will be pictures taken!
Business casual attire is suggested.
Interview Judging Criteria
Project Understanding/Knowledge
Content/Organization/Skills
- OR -
2. Engineering
Project Interview Tips
Suggested Project Timeline
Awards Guide
Grand Prize Awards
Three Grand Prize Awards are given to the most competitive Category Award winner projects in the High School Division. Three Grand Prize winners will be selected to take an all-expenses-paid trip to advance to compete in the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair to be held in May. Check out where the ISEF will be hosted this year at: www.societyforscience.org/isef/
Category Awards
Only projects submitted in the Competition Division will be awarded. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each of seven categories in the High School Division. First, second, third, fourth and fifth place prizes will be awarded in each of seven categories in the Middle School Division.
All projects are consolidated into 7 eligible STEM areas for the category awards that include:
California State Science Fair Awards
First place winners in each category in the High School & Middle School Divisions will qualify to participate in the California State Science Fair. Second place winners in each category in the High School and Middle School Division will be selected as alternates for the California State Science Fair.
*Note: Students from Butte, San Joaquin, and Solano counties are NOT eligible to advance to the California State Science Fair through Sacramento Regional STEM Fair.
Broadcom MASTERS Awards
Middle School Competition Division award recipients will be nominated to participate in the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) competition dependent upon Broadcom's parameters.
Participation Awards
All participants in the Fair receive a certificate of participation and a commemorative pin. Other items and mementos may be handed out as well.
Special Awards
A number of individuals, companies and organizations provide special awards for projects that meet specific criteria. Last year, over 30 special awards were given out. To see a list of our typical Special Award Sponsors, click here.
Pin Design Contest
How to Enter
Do you consider yourself somewhat of an artist? If so, we want you to help us design our 2022 STEM Fair pin! Each year, the NorCal STEM Education Foundation provides pins to participants at the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair to commemorate the event. These pins travel with the winners who go on to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and are traded among competitors from all over the world! Imagine YOUR design traveling to Europe, Asia, even Australia!
The contestants for the Pin Design Competition will be featured virtually at the 2021 Sacramento Regional STEM Fair and the winner will be named at the Awards Ceremony.
Rules to Enter
All designs should be scalable (submitted in EPS format) and visually appealing when reduced to 1 ½ x 1 ½ inches. Designs will be displayed in color in two sizes for voting. Designs will be displayed on one side of one 8 ½ by 11-inch piece of paper. Designs will be shown in a print area of 4x6 and a pin preview thumbnail of 1 ½ by 1 ½ inches. Winning pins will be manufactured no larger than 1 ½ x 1 ½ inches. Pin designs should state "2022" and "Sacramento Regional STEM Fair." The chosen pin is subject to change to reflect the name of the 2022 Fair.
Individual submissions only. Contest is limited to students in grades 5-12 that reside in the NorCal STEM Education Foundation's service area.
Rules & Regulations
For a detailed look at all rules and regulations that apply for the Pin Design Contest: look here!
Contacts
455 Capitol Mall, Suite 500 Sacramento, CA 95814
P: (916) 441.3150
F: (916) 442.4182
Our Mission
The mission of the NorCal STEM Education Foundation is to inspire and engage students to become interested in pursuing scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) degrees and careers.
©2016 NorCal STEM Education Foundation