Tips for Successful Participation in the Tidewater Science Fair

Tips for Successful Participation in the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair at ODU 1. Be on time. Registration and Project Set –up opens at 7:00 AM. Every person needs to register and pick up the registration information. The Program Book that you will receive at Registration will inform you where your project display is located. Once you have found the location, look for the tall signs that direct you to the proper table Find your “Project Identification Code” for your set-up space. The code is found on your registration packet by your name. A “J” indicates Junior Division and a “S” indicates a senior division project. This letter will precede your category selection. Ex: JAS = junior division in the category of Animal Science. 2. Your display needs to be set-up by 7:30 AM. After this time, everyone must vacate the area. From 7:30 until 8:30, you may purchase food items or just relax. This would also be a good time to look through your Program Book for times and events. At 8:25 you should be seated for the Opening Ceremony in North Cafeteria. Look in your program book for your schedule. 3. ISEF’s Rules and Guidelines – Check out the needed information at the TSEF’s website http://cs.odu.edu/~scifair/RegionalFair/index.html and the ISEF’s website http://www.societyforscience.org/isef/ Project Display Board Size Requirements (no exceptions): a) maximum depth from front to back of the display is 24 inches b) maximum length (side to side) is 48 inches c) maximum height from floor to top of display is 96 inches (8 feet) which includes the table height of 30 inches (so table top to max. height is 66 inches) 4. On your display board: a) do NOT provide any “Thank You” or Acknowledgements to mentors, teachers, etc. b) any photographs or visual depictions must have a “credit line of origin” which states the source of this visual. . 5. Items required to be visible at your display table: a) a copy of your Abstract b) a notebook with your TSF Application paperwork and all of your original forms c) if you have a data book or data log, it should also be present 6. There are many items that will NOT be allowed at your display table/area. Check the Rules and Regulations listed above in #3. Any violations will be removed by a TSEF official before judging begins. 7. No food or drinks, except for small containers of bottled water for personal consumption, will be allowed in the project display areas. Please dress appropriately. 8. At 8:45 AM, you must return to your project display area. Judges will then conduct their interviews until noon. You must remain by your project during this time. 9. Lunch time is from noon until 12:45 PM. ODU will have sites open for business. 10. Report back to your project display area at 12:45 for viewing by the general public. 11. If you need electrical outlets, you must contact the TSEF’s director at least 2 weeks before the fair. 12. TSEF recognizes the fact that it can be difficult getting all team members to the fair. Since not all team members must be present at TSEF, the attending finalists will be responsible for explaining the project to the judges and for describing the missing team member’s contribution to the research. Rewards will be split among all the team members.