2026 State Science & Engineering Fair Details
The Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair will take place on Friday, March 27, 2026 at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul, located 175 Kellogg Blvd West, St Paul, MN 55102.
Check back for additional details as we get closer to the event.
We look forward to seeing you in March!
Getting Registered
All student 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 preform your first time login asap and answer the questions on the “additional questions” tab. After receiving the email log-in to your zFairs account. 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 - 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 Fees
All registration fees must be paid by 3/25/26. Fees are $100 for individual projects, $180 for 2-person teams or $240 for 3-person teams. Click button below to pay with a credit card or PayPal 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 kevinsands@mnmas.org that the check has been sent.
Refunds
Request refunds or cancellations by email to the MAS Operations Coordinator (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 Director 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 Kevin Sands (kevinsands@mnmas.org) with questions about registration payment or fee waivers.
Project Presentation Guidelines
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 are only judged virtually and rely on your virtual presentation to determine winners.
Please click on the guidelines link below to access a full summary of the presentation guidelines for 2026.
For the 2026 SSEF, students now have two options for their in-person display board. Students may choose either a single-panel poster board (up to 24” wide x 36” high x 3/16” thick) for a printed quad chart display, or a tri-fold board (up to 48” wide x 36” high), which may be reused from a regional fair. Both formats are equally acceptable and must follow all display and safety guidelines.
Option 1: Single-Panel Poster Board (Quad Chart Style)
Poster board size: 24” wide x 36” high x 3/16” thick
Designed to display up to six 8.5” x 11” quad chart pages
Mounted vertically in portrait orientation
Poster stands provided (only fit 3/16” thick boards)
Option 2: Standard Tri-Fold Presentation Board
Poster board size: 48” wide x 36 “ high
You may reuse your tri-fold from a regional fair or create a new one.
For any questions regarding presentation guidelines contact us at ssefprogmanager@mnmas.org
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 27th
State Science Fair at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium
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)
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 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 29
2:00 pm | Virtual Awards Ceremony Awards ceremony will be held, virtually on Sunday 3/29 at 2:00 pm. Grand and Special Awards will be presented. The link will be posted here and sent to you in an email.
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
In-person presentation materials:
Presentation board
Paperwork to display- Abstract, Form 1C, and Form 7(s) (as applies)
Presentation binder (optional)
Model (optional)
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
Please contact Program Director Liz Buhmann at lizbuhmann@mnmas.org with any questions.
