2024 State Science & Engineering Fair Details

The Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair will take place on Friday, March 22, 2024 at the Saint Paul River Centre in St. Paul, located 175 Kellogg Blvd West, St Paul, MN 55102.

Check back to this page as the event approaches for more important details. We look forward to seeing you in March 2024!

Important Dates

• 3/11/2024 Registration Editing  Deadline- All changes to registration information including links to video presentations must be finalized by 11:00pm

• 3/18/2024 Registration Payment Deadline- All registration fees must be paid by 3/18/2024. Fees are $100 for individual projects, $180 for 2-person teams or $240 for 3-person teams.

• 3/22/2024 In Person State Science Fair - Science Fair will take place at the St. Paul RiverCentre from 8:00 am- 6:30 pm. All participants are required to be present in person to compete

• 3/22/2024 Keynote & Special Awards Reception- A select number of special awards will be presented following a Keynote by Jazmine Darden. This will take place at the St. Paul RiverCentre and is part of the State Science Fair. Students are required to attend. Teachers and families are welcome to join us for the keynote and special awards!

• 3/24/2024 Awards Announcement & Ceremony (virtual) - Awards ceremony will be held virtually on Sunday 3/24  at 2:00 pm. You can access the award ceremony at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87136436062

2024 Project Presentation Guidelines

The 2024 State Science and Engineering Fair will return to an in-person format this year. All participants are required to compete in person. Participants will submit a project presentation video and other materials during registration in zFairs. These online submissions will be available to judges along with in-person presentation materials to score for each project. Some of the sponsored awards judges will only be judging virtually and will rely on your virtual presentation to determine winners.

Participants will be required to present a quad chart presentation similar to 2023. Models will be allowed at Science Fair 2024.

Please click on the guidelines link below to access a full summary of the presentation guidelines for 2024.

2024 SSEF Presentation Guidelines

Required online registration materials:

• Video- the video should summarize all aspects of your project. Video length may not exceed a maximum of twelve minutes.

• Abstract- must NOT exceed 250 words.

• Poster presentation/Quad Chart- the quad chart will be a single document file, divided into four sections, providing a high-level summary of the project.

Required in-person presentation materials:

• Presentation board- for in-person judging, you will print your quad chart pages to display on a foam poster board.

• Paperwork to display- Abstract- Abstract Form, Form 1C- Regulated Research Institution (1C), Form 7(s) (if applicable)- Continuation Projects Form (7)

For any questions regarding presentation guidelines you may contact Liz Buhmann at Lizbuhmann@mnmas.org.

Where to Purchase a Presentation Board?

For in-person judging, all participants are required to print their quad chart pages to display on a poster board that is 24” x 36 “ x 3/16” or smaller. Trifold boards will not be allowed at the event. Poster board stands will be provided for you at the event. Below are some places where you can purchase a 24” x 36 “ x 3/16” board.

Walmart- boards are sold in packs of 2 ($26.88) or 10 ($69.88)

Foamboards- boards are sold in packs of 5 ($30.00) or 10 ($57.00)

Foamboards - boards are sold in packs of 15 ($68.00) or 25 ($105.00)

Uline- boards are sold in packs of 25. ($97.50)

Blick- boards are sold online in packs of 25 ($137.58). Check website for additional in store availability.

Please note: If you are in need of assistance in sourcing a poster board of the required size you will need to contact ssefprogmanager@mnmas.org by 3/13/24 and make this request so that a foam board will be provided for you at the event.

SSEF Adult Chaperone Registration Form

Please complete the form below if you are an adult (teacher, parent, advisor, etc.) accompanying one or multiple students to the the State Science and Engineering Fair on March 22nd at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

Adult Registration Form

FAQ Document
Have additional questions? Please review the document below for more information. Frequently Asked Questions

State Science Fair Schedule

This schedule may be subject to slight changes. Please refer back as we get closer to event to confirm official times.

Friday March 22nd

State Science Fair at the St Paul RiverCentre

• 8:00 am- 10:00 am- Student Check-in and Set-up Students will be marked as present and receive any handout materials. As students are checking in they should be setting up their boards in the project presentation hall.

• 8:00 am- 10:00 am- Display and Safety As students are checking in and getting set up they must go through display and safety. Students must be marked cleared in order to participate in judging.

• 10:00 am- 11:00 am- Display and Safety Final Checks Time for students to correct any issues with display and safety and get approved for judging.

• 10:30 am - 10:45 am am- Kick off & Morning Announcements Announcements will include any important information you will need to know for the day

• 11:00 am- 3:30 pm- Judging 

  •  11:00 am - 1:00 pm ODD number projects in hall being judged

  • 1:30 pm-3:30 pm EVEN number projects in hall being judged 

• 11:00 am- 4:00 pm- Enrichment Activities  During the time when your project is not being judged you will have time to explore the exhibitor booths, grab lunch at the concession cart or the Headwaters Cafe (both located inside the RiverCentre) , and /or visit the Science Museum of Minnesota (located across the street from the RiverCentre)

  • The Science Museum is providing free access to all SSEF student participants this year! Stop by the MAS help desk to pick up your wristband. (Valid 3/22/24 only)

• 3:30 pm-4:30 pm Public Viewing All are welcome in the project hall to view exhibits at this time.

• 4:30 pm-5:00 pm Student Networking and Prizes

• 5:00 pm-6:30 pm Keynote & Special Awards Reception Keynote by Jazmine Darden, Founder of SPARKZ3D, will be followed by Special Awards Reception. Medtronic awards, 3M awards, ISEF finalists and many others will be announced. Food and beverages will be served. All students are required to attend.

• 6:30 pm Project Teardown & Closing Announcements Students will remove all project materials from project hall and any wrap up announcements will be given.

Sunday, March 24

2:00 pm | Virtual Awards Ceremony  Awards ceremony will be held, virtually on Sunday  3/24  at 2:00 pm. Grand and Special Awards will be presented. The link will be posted here and sent to you in an email.

Registration Fees

All registration fees must be paid by 3/18/24. Registration payment fees are $100 for an individual project, $180 for 2 person team, and $240 for 3-person teams. Click button below to pay with a credit card  Or mail a check (with the students names who registration it is covering) to Minnesota Academy of Science, 970 Raymond Ave Suite 103, Saint Paul, MN 55114 and notify jenhadley@mnmas.org that the check has been sent.

Refunds

Request refunds or cancellations by email to the MAS Operations Manager (info below). The deadline for refunds is the last day of registration. Make your requests based on extenuating circumstances in writing by email to the SSEF Program Manager before the program begins.

Scholarships

Scholarships to cover the State Science & Engineering Fair registration fee are available. You must contact your regional director and inquire about this option.

Contact Operations Manager Jen Hadley (jenhadley@mnmas.org) or 651-917-3994 with questions about registration payment or fee waivers.

2024 Keynote Speaker for the Minnesota State Science & Engineering Fair

Planning What to Wear & What to Bring to the State Science Fair

What to Wear

Student dress should be neat and clean, but there is no “right” outfit. We ask that students come ready to present and put their best foot forward, but that does not mean you must wear a suit or dress. Consider what you might wear if you were to attend a job interview. Below are some ideas of what appropriate Science Fair attire may look like.

• Tops: Button-downs, collared shirts, or blouses are a great choices, either short-sleeved or long-sleeved. You can add a jacket or blazer over your top of choice for added dressiness. Avoid cotton t-shirts or tops with large-printed graphics or slogans.

• Bottoms: Pants like slacks or dress pants are great choices. Flowey skirts and pencil skirts are acceptable as well.

• Comfortable shoes: Make sure that you wear comfortable shoes, as you will be on your feet for the majority of the day.

What to Bring

We are so glad you will be joining us for the State Science Fair! Below is a list of items that you should plan to bring with you to have the best experience possible.

• Water bottle

• Small snack for yourself

• A face mask

• In-person presentation materials:

  • Presentation board- for in-person judging you will print your quad chart pages to display on a foam poster board.

  • Paperwork to display- Abstract, Form 1C, and Form 7(s) (as applies)

  • Presentation binder (optional)

Science Fair Event Registration

All participants will need to be registered in the zFairs platform. This will be done one of two ways:

• Promoted from regional fair - If you are promoted from a regional fair that uses zfairs you will receive a welcome email saying that you have been promoted. You need to perform your first time login asap and answer the questions on the “additional questions” tab. You can log in HERE (use same login info you used with your regional fair), and you will be prompted to add some information about yourself.  This account already has your video and all your paperwork you submitted to regionals. Do not create a new account in zfairs for State Sci Fair.

• If your region did not use zFairs you need to create a zFairs account -  You can get registered in zFairs HERE. Go to Create Account → Student (see image below) and answer all the questions. Once you submit your registration, you will receive a confirmation email that you are registered

Registration Tip: When registering you will be required to submit your "Entry Video Url" and "Digital Display Board”. You do not have to have these completed until the final editing deadline- 3/11/24. These two fields are required at the time of registration, so you will need to put in placeholders to complete registration. In "video" you can put any text (such as a dash or a period). For digital display board any jpeg or pdf file will work. You can download the following blank PDF and upload to your digital display board as a placeholder. Blank PDF to download as placeholder. Be sure to update these two entries with your final presentation materials before the final editing deadline.

State Science Fair Deadlines by Region:

All participants must be registered OR, if they were promoted in zFairs because their region used zFairs, must have performed their first time login and answer the additional questions by 5pm of their regional registration deadline.

• Northern Region - 3/1/2024

• Northeast Region - 2/17/2024

• Western Region - 3/2/2024

• Southern Region - 3/1/2024

• Rochester Region - 3/8/2024

• Twin Cities Region - 3/10/2024

Accessibility and SSEF

The Minnesota Academy of Science is committed to removing barriers and limitations in all that we do. MAS embraces the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in our commitment to ensuring that all members of our community can participate as fully as possible in our events, programs and communications. We are continually working to improve our program experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

If you have accessibility needs, questions or requests, please contact us:

Email: lizbuhmann@mnmas.org

Office Phone: 612-917-3994- Press 6 for Liz Buhmann

Questions?

SSEF Staff Contacts:

• For questions about registration payments, SRC, or volunteering contact Operations Manager Jen Hadley at jenhadley@mnmas.org.

• For any other questions, contact Program Manager Liz Buhmann at lizbuhmann@mnmas.org.