Young
Scientists-in-the-Making Compete for Top Honors at the 55th
Annual California State Science Fair
Los
Angeles – More than 900 of the state’s top
middle and senior high school students will convene for
the final round of competition in the California State
Science Fair, May 22 -23, 2006 at the California Science
Center in Exposition Park. Winners will take home a combined
total of $50,000 in cash prizes provided by THE MUSES and
Raytheon, the Fair's major benefactors, along with other
corporate and community supporters
Students
from around the state must first qualify at the regional
or county level before advancing to the State Science Fair.
The projects span 19 categories – from aerodynamics/hydrodynamics
to zoology – and will be judged by a volunteer pool of
over 350 scientists and engineers from private industry and
higher education. In addition to the winners in each category,
top honors will go to Student of the Year (senior only), and
Project of the Year (in both junior and senior high divisions).
Science teachers, nominated by junior and senior high school
students, will also compete for Science Teacher of the Year.
The selection is determined by a panel representing the California
Science Teachers Association, the California Science Center,
THE MUSES and educators.
Ideas for projects often come from real-life experiences.
In addition to the recognition and prize money, participating
in the fair has side benefits for students. The process gives
them the opportunity to develop a unique set of abilities,
such as using scientific methodology to reach a conclusion,
marketing techniques to create clever project titles and eye-catching
graphic displays, and interviewing skills to explain their
research to Science Fair judges.
The public
is invited to see this year’s
projects during the public viewing period on Monday, May
22 from 1-5 p.m. Admission is free.
The California Science Center is located at 700 State Drive
in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. Parking is $6 per car in the
visitor lot at 39th and Figueroa Street.
Reporter / Editor / Producer Note:
Reporters interested in viewing projects with students
on-hand for interviews should plan to visit Tuesday,
May 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please
check in at the Information Desk inside the Science Center.
After 12:30 p.m., students will be dismissed and after 3:30
p.m., the projects will be dismantled. For general information
on the California State Science Fair, please visit www.casciencectr.org/CSSF/.
Names of the winners will be posted on this site May 23 after
8 p.m. Reporters may also contact the Communications Department
at (213) 744-7446 for information on winners from their area
beginning May 24.
