COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 10, 2006) — Students, parents and school personnel interested in the 52nd annual Cumberland Plateau Science and Engineering Fair at Tennessee Tech University can learn about a number of exciting changes in the event during an informational meeting Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. until noon in TTU's Bruner Hall, Room 119.

The regional science fair, which will be held March 31-April 1, 2006, will be on TTU’s campus, with project set-up and judging to be held in the Roaden University Center and the awards ceremony in Derryberry Auditorium.

Debra Bryant, fair director, said several TTU faculty members who have judged at international fairs will be available at the informational meeting to answer questions about competition and to provide valuable information on developing winning research experiments.

A representative from the Scientific Review Committee will also be there to answer questions about projects that will need prior approval from the SRC. There will also be a question/answer session to provide information on the rules and regulations. Grand Award winners from last year's International ISEF Fair in Phoenix, Ariz., are also being invited to share their winning tips.

"High school students who plan to compete at the regional level may have already begun their projects," said Bryant. "If not, now is the time to start the process in order to have sufficient time to conduct research, draw conclusions, and prepare the display in time for local and/or school fairs."

High school students will be competing for TTU scholarships, an expense-paid trip as a competitor or observer to the Intel-ISEF International Fair in Indianapolis, Ind., in May 2006, monetary and other awards from professional societies, commercial firms, military branches and other governmental agencies. Students in grades 4-8 will also be competing for monetary and other awards. Students in lower grades will also be competing for cash and other awards.

One of the most prestigious awards for students in grades 5-8 is the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, which honors 400 semifinalists and 40 finalists nationwide. These winners share $100,000 in scholarships and prizes, including trips to Maryland and Washington, D.C.

The Cumberland Plateau Science and Engineering Fair is an Intel ISEF-affiliated science fair. An Intel ISEF-affiliated science fair is a science competition that is a member of the Intel ISEF network. These competitions exist in every state in the United States and 40 countries. All Intel ISEF-affiliated science fairs register with Science Service and must consist of five participating high schools or 50 students in the 9th-12th grades.

All students grades 4-12 attending a public, private, parochial, or home school within the Upper Cumberland region whose projects have received an award or honorable mention in a school fair are eligible to enter a science project in the regional fair. All high school students are eligible to enter projects, whether or not they have received an award from a school fair. Students whose schools did not have a school fair are also eligible. A student may enter only one exhibit. Teachers and sponsors may advise students, but all work must be done by the student. Winners will be chosen without regard to sex, race, or national origin.

Information for students may be obtained from the Science Service web site, http://www.sciserv.org/isef/students/index.asp, from the TTU Science Fair web site http://www.tntech.edu/scifair/, or from local high school science/mathematics teachers.

For more information, contact Bryant at 372-3668.

--Karen Lykins
This information posted 10 JANUARY 2006