With experience at the National Science Fair from the previous season, I had wanted to share my experience and possibly motivate some of you to join in the fun! It’s easy, but you have to be inquisitive and determined in order to secure a position in a national/international level of sciences. To be honest, the hardest challenge for me was to figure out what exactly is offered to a high school students headed towards this field. So, I thought I would make your journey a little easier (if you choose to take it…)
1. First and foremost, competitors line up all from across the city at the Calgary Youth Science Fair! It’s one of the biggest science competitions in the city with a turnout of approximately 500-1,000 participants. I highly recommend attending one before you think of competing to analyze the different opportunities teens across the city availed from.
2. If you qualify within the 12 best projects (among 500) you get to move on to national level, sponsored by Youth Science Canada. The Canada Wide Science Fair attracts the top science geeks around Canada, where they compete for prize money and scholarships to Canadian universities. The best part is, it’s all sponsored so you can forget about school for a week and truly engage yourself in a week of  hands-on learning and exploring a new city each year! Click here for a complete list of winners from the 2010-2011 season.
3. If you think you have what it take to persuade your project towards international levels, you can look into registering your project for Team Canada- Intel ISEF Science and Engineering Fair. To check out what it takes to be a winner at Intel ISEF, click here for a complete list of project details and their award placements.
4. Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge – If you are looking specifically for a hands-on research experience, don’t limit yourself to your basement! If you have a research proposal in mind, try the online application (once it’s updated for the new season) to participate in the world of research and work with a university professor towards a science project. Sanofi-Aventis entertains proposals from students in Grades 10-12 with up to four team members.
5) Virtual Science Fairs – Too lazy to present your project…? Or are you looking for extra recognition with your project? Try the Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair or the Google International Science Fair! The aim for these science fairs is to promote curiosity and the use of technology. From prizes ranging from $50,000 towards scholarships to exciting educational vacations, it’s definitely worth a shot!
Check out At The Science Fair video!
If you still have questions or need further help, be sure to get in touch with me through comments and I’ll try my best to answer them for you! 😉
