Rider University to Host Mercer Science and Engineering Fair
Mercer County students in grades 4 to 12 have entered more than 400 projects to vie for honors in the 56th Mercer Science and Engineering Fair, hosted by Rider University, from Saturday, March 15, to Thursday, March 20, in the Bart Luedeke Center Cavalla Room.
The Mercer Science and Engineering Club has sponsored the yearly science fair for county students since its inception. This is the 17th consecutive year that Rider has hosted the event.
The fair is divided into three divisions: elementary (grades 4 and 5), junior (grades 6 to 8) and senior (grades 9-12). Elementary students compete in one general category, while junior-level students compete in physical and biological categories. Senior-level participants enter projects in 13 categories.
After two days of set-up, judging will take place on Monday, March 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Cavalla Room. More than 60 judges from area companies, agencies, schools and the military will evaluate the projects. Students in the senior division must be present in order to answer the judges’ questions about their research.
The awards ceremony, which annually attracts more than 1,200 spectators, will be on Tuesday, March 18, from 7 to 9 p.m., in Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium. Approximately 175 prizes and awards will be presented by various companies and organizations that evening. This year, the two top prize-winners in the senior division will win all-expense-paid trips to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Atlanta from May 11 to 16, 2008.
Each year, the Intel ISEF brings together approximately 1,500 students from more than 40 nations to compete for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and other awards.
In addition to being identified with the Intel ISEF, the Mercer Science and Engineering Fair is also associated with the Society for Science & the Public (SSP) and the SSP Middle School Program. Students participating in SSP-affiliate fairs have a chance of winning a nomination that will go to the first- and second-place category award winners (or roughly the top 10 percent of participants) in grades 5 through 8.
These selected nominees will receive a prize letter with details on how to register and receive entry materials. Students will be asked to write essays based on their science fair project and science fair experience to compete to be one of 300 semifinalists and ultimately one of the 30 finalists. Entries will be due by Wednesday, June 4, 2008. The 30 finalists win an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in October 2008 to compete for scholarships, trips and other awards while presenting their science fair project and doing science with 29 of their peers from around the nation.
This year, 16 sponsors have allowed the Mercer Science and Engineering Club to send two senior division grand-prize winners to the Intel ISEF, as well as to continue to offer the opportunity for younger students top compete in the Young Scientist Challenge.
In addition to Rider University as the lead sponsor, the other supporters are Voicenet Communications, Educational Testing Service, The Peddie School Summer Science Institute, Digi/Rabbit Semiconductor, National Starch and Chemical, the MIRTHE Center, Airtrax, Siemens, Macraigor Systems, Roebling Construction Company, Parson Brinckerhoff and Parallax.
The public may view the projects in the Cavalla Room immediately following the awards ceremony. Projects will also be on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, and on Thursday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Submitted on March 11, 2008
Return to News@RIDER
