| What: | Elementary, junior high and high school students participate in a regional science competition. |
| Date: | Wednesday, March 28-Friday, March 30, 2012 |
| Public viewing time: | 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday |
| Media viewing time: | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. |
| Place: | Rice-Eccles Stadium tower, levels four and five, University of Utah |
March 26, 2012 – Salt Lake’s premier science fair, the Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair, will be held at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium tower on March 28-30, 2012.
Students will set up their projects Wednesday, March 28. News media are invited to cover the event Thursday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday, March 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The public is invited to view the projects on Thursday and Friday from 2 to 3 p.m.
The awards ceremony will be held on Friday at 7 p.m. at East High School, 840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair is organized by the University of Utah’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education. It is an annual competition for students in grades 5 through 12 who attend a public, private or charter school in the Canyons, Granite, Murray, Park City, Salt Lake or Tooele school districts or the Salt Lake Catholic Diocese. Home-schooled students also are encouraged to participate.
The science fair “is pleased to showcase the inquisitive natures and scientific discoveries of the best and brightest young minds from local school districts,” says Jody Ostrander, the fair’s project manager.
About 750 students are registered this year, a significant increase from years past. More than 250 judges will evaluate and score the 597 individual and team projects.
Senior division winners from the Salt Lake Valley science fair will be eligible to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science fair. Every May, more than 1,400 students from some 40 countries compete for $3 million in internships, grants, science equipment and prizes.
“Having the support of the University of Utah helps create a connection between those at the university and the next generation of scientists and engineers,” says fair Director Brenda Mann, a vice president at SentrX Animal Care and a research assistant professor of bioengineering at the university.
“Inspiration moves both directions: these young students are full of energy and interesting ideas, and are eager to learn; experienced scientists and engineers can help provide direction, focus and encouragement to them.”
Science and engineering fair projects provide an excellent hands-on opportunity for students to apply what they have learned in school and explore a topic of interest in greater detail. These projects help them understand the importance of the scientific method, gathering and analyzing data, and identifying and solving problems. The students also learn first-hand the need for effective communication skills.
The regional science fair is sponsored by the University of Utah and local businesses, which are listed on the fair website, http://slvsef.org/sponsors.
A list of award winners in each category will be posted on the fair website by 10 p.m. MDT Friday, March 30. For more information, please visit: http://slvsef.org.