Students & Parents

Review the information below to find out how to participate in the Sacramento Regional STEM Fair!

Timeline of Events

Identify your topic & research it & make a plan

JUNE-JULY-AUGUST-EARLY SEPTEMBER

First, make sure you are eligible to participate in our Fair by checking out our eligibility flow chart. Next, review our Student Handbook (2026-27 Link Coming Soon!) and Student Policies (2026-27 Link Coming Soon. Now, create your student account. You’ll need this account to be able to register your project for this year’s fair. Keep the confirmation email you get – it will contain your Student ID number. 

Next, review our 2026-27 Fair Calendar. You can even subscribe to the calendar using this link so you never miss a deadline! [LINK COMING SOON]

Think of a topic that interests you or that is relevant to you and develop a question or a solution to a problem. Find something that is interesting TO YOU.Begin researching your topic. Keep a notebook to record notes throughout your project, making sure to record and cite your sources as you go. This will help you compile references for your bibliography. Write down observations, measurements, sketches, and diagrams. Narrow down your topic to one that you can experiment with. Complete your initial research, identify your topic and conduct specific research on your topic. You should NOT begin experimentation yet.


Now that you have a topic in mind, check out our Pre-Approval Flow chart so you know whether you’ll need pre-approval from our Scientific Review Committee before you begin your project experimentation or build. You should also head to the ISEF Rules Wizard to figure out what forms you’ll need for registration.

Plan & prepare & register

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Plan for your experiment: draft out what steps you will take in your experimentation and make a list of what materials you will need. Purchase the materials for your experiment – make sure to have enough for a few trials! Be sure to list out your safety procedures as well because you will need it for your STEM Fair registration. Make a hypothesis and write it down. Remember to continue documenting your process in your project notebook or logbook.

Now it’s time to start your Project Registration. Before you begin, review the Project Registration Worksheet. Make a copy of this google doc for yourself and use it to draft the information you’ll enter in our online project registration portal. 2027 PROJECT REGISTRATION LINK COMING SOON. Make sure you’ve already completed your student account creation before you begin project registration – you’ll need your Student ID number to register your project. 

ALL PROJECTS must complete project registration before they begin experimentation or building. Some projects will also need pre-approval before they can begin experimentation or build. Pre-approval projects must register by 11:59p on November 13, 2026. Projects not requiring pre-approval must register by 11:59p on January 31, 2027. We strongly recommend all students register as early as possible in case it turns out they need pre-approval and to benefit from early review of their projects. The sooner you register, the sooner you’ll have approval and can move on to conducting your experiment or build.

EXPERIMENT

NOVEMBER-JANUARY

If your project requires pre-approval, you’ll receive approval within 7 days of your registration or by November 20 if you registered on deadline-day. 

Perform your experimentation or build according to your research plan. Record all observations and data in detail in your notebook or logbook. When you are experimenting be sure to collect both quantitative (numbers and measurements) and qualitative data (descriptive observations). Did something surprising happen? Do you have to change course or alter your research plan? That’s okay – you can always file an updated plan for review.

We suggest you videotape and photograph your experimentation. This way if you have materials that are not allowed at your project display during the Fair (like liquids or petri dishes), you are still able to showcase the work you performed.

 Analyze your data and draw conclusions. This is where you reflect on what happened during experimentation – what did you observe? What does it mean in the real world? Would this work affect other areas of the world?

Create your project board & display

JANUARY-FEBRUARY

Review the ISEF Display Safety Guidelines as well as our Fair’s display safety rules to ensure your display fits within size constraints and doesn’t include any prohibited items. 

Make sure you’ve followed a standard format for citation, including endnotes and footnotes (i.e. APA or MLA)

Showcase appropriate drawings, photographs and models to describe the project that attract and hold attention.

Prepare and practice your 2-3 minute presentation. Take a look at our “Project Tips/Interview” section on the Student & Parents page. Remember: your judges will be scientists and engineers; you do not have to explain every tiny detail to them. Practice with a timer to ensure you get all of the most important information out within 3 minutes maximum. After 3 minutes, judges will be able to interrupt you with questions

Finalize Project! It's Fair Time!

MARCH

Make sure to review the online information packets that are posted close to the date of the Fair. These contain information pertaining to timing, parking, student check-in, activities for the day and more!

 

Keep practicing your presentation and be ready to show off all of your hard work! Practice in front of your friends. Practice in front of your parents. Practice in front of your teachers. Practice presenting to 1 person at a time and to groups of people. Judges may visit you individually or in groups of 3 or up to 6. The more you practice in advance, the less anxious you’ll feel. 

 

On Fair check-in day, make sure that you bring your project display board, your research databook, notebook, or logbook showing all of your work from the start, any project display components like prototypes, laptops, chargers, a water bottle (lots of talking = need extra hydration), and a book (lots of downtime waiting for judges). Don’t bring recording devices, expensive or breakable items, prohibited display items, noisemaking items, toys, games, or other distractions. Dress in professional attire or smart business casual attire (ie: go for non-jeans like khakis or dress pants or a skirt. No clothing with inappropriate language. Avoid t-shirts and wear a collared shirt.)

Project Interview & Other Tips

  • Please dress your best, there will be pictures taken!
  • Start with the BIG, GENERAL IDEA or QUESTION that you began with – everything has a beginning.
  • Connect the big general question or idea to your research topic.
  • Provide a brief overview of highlights, like a movie trailer.
  • Excite your audience about your project!
  • Used sparingly, humor, charm, and eye contact may help you connect with your judges.
  • Provides evidence that any assistance is within reasonable limits
  • Presents project in a clear, understandable fashion
  • Conclusions formulated are logical, based on the data collected and relevant to hypothesis
  • Follows a standard format for citation, including endnotes and footnotes (i.e. APA or MLA)
  • Provides appropriate drawings, photographs and models to describe the project, attracts and holds attention
  • Please dress your best, there will be pictures taken!
  • Start with the BIG, GENERAL IDEA or QUESTION that you began with – everything has a beginning.
  • Connect the big general question or idea to your research topic.
  • Provide a brief overview of highlights, like a movie trailer.
  • Excite your audience about your project!
  • Used sparingly, humor, charm, and eye contact may help you connect with your judges.
 
 
  • Please dress your best, there will be pictures taken!
  • Start with the BIG, GENERAL IDEA or QUESTION that you began with – everything has a beginning.
  • Connect the big general question or idea to your research topic.
  • Provide a brief overview of highlights, like a movie trailer.
  • Excite your audience about your project!
  • Used sparingly, humor, charm, and eye contact may help you connect with your judges.
  • Communicate in a natural manner, not rushed, perhaps just a bit slower than usual.
  • Draw from what you know by heart — so that it doesn’t sound overly “memorized.”
  • Place your project into context – how does it affect the real world?
  • Wrap up and let your judges know you would be happy to answer questions and always remember to say thank you!
  • Demonstrates understanding of the topic by:providing rational for data and conclusions, and suggesting future extensions/research
 
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  • Dress Code

    • Please dress your best, there will be pictures taken!
    • Avoid jeans. Opt instead for khakis, a skirt, or dress, or dress pants.
    • Avoid t-shirts. Opt instead for a clean polo shirt, collared shirt, or dress blouse. 
    • Suits or suit jackets are welcomed
    • You don’t need to buy a new suit! If you don’t have any professional attire or smart business casual attire, raid a parent or sibling’s closet, hit a thrift shop, or ask friends to borrow an outfit. 

    Project Understanding & Knowledge Tips

    • Start with the BIG, GENERAL IDEA or QUESTION that you began with.
    • Connect the big general question or idea to your research topic.
    • Provide a brief overview of highlights, like a movie trailer.
    • Explain how your conclusions are logical, based on the data collected and relevant to your hypothesis
    • If needed, provide evidence that any assistance you received from parents, teachers, or mentors is within reasonable limits.
    • Place your project in a real world context – what problems might your research solve? What comes next?

    Interview and Public Speaking Tips

    • Introduce yourself with your first and last name and your grade
    • Practice, practice, practice: don’t read from a script. Draw from what you know from your months of work. Think of this as a conversation, not a dry speech. 
    • Practice with a timer at home. Judges have been told to let you present for 3 minutes without interruptions, but after 3 minutes, they may start asking you questions. Make sure you get your main points out in 3 minutes.
    • At the same time, don’t speak too quickly! Stress can make you speed up and cause judges to miss important information. Take a deep breath and slow down.
    • Used sparingly, humor, charm, and eye contact may help you connect with your judges.
    • Share your enthusiasm about your project, don’t be shy. Remember, YOU are the #1 expert on your own project. Your enthusiasm will make the judges enthusiastic as well. 
    • Wrap up and let your judges know you would be happy to answer questions and always remember to say thank you!
    • Be prepared to deliver your presentation multiple times. When you’re done presenting, be mindful of other interviews taking place around you.
 
 
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