STEM SHOWCASE: Instructions / PROCEDURES
Below are official rules and procedures for 2025
Timing
Check-in
The Showcase
Judging and Prize Ceremony
And the most important thing of all is, have a great time!
Timing
- We will be able to start setting up for the show at or after 3:30p on February 26th.
- Depending on how much time you need you may start setup anytime after
Check-in
- When you arrive to start setting up please checkin with our parent volunteers, and/or event organizers
- Once checked-in each participant will be assigned a table, and provided a placecard with their name, project title, and category.
- Each participant will also be assigned a number representing the order in which projects will be judged.
- Each participant will have their own table, with a black tablecloth. This table can be decorated any way your child wishes. You can put anything on the table that does not stain. If you think something might stain, then please put down a protective cover such as a plastic sheet or canvas, etc (please notify us in your registration if you have special project considerations).
The Showcase
- Participants will have opportunity to share their project and answer questions for anyone who stops by their table.
- Designated judges will stop by each table in order, ask may ask questions. We will announce which table the judges are at, so participants can be ready.
- Before and/or after the judges review their table, participants can either choose to stay at their table, or they can leave their table to see other tables, get food, etc.
- f you are not present when it’s your turn for the judges, we may need to move to the next project in order. If there is time to go back after we will, but please pay attention to what number is currently being judged, so you don’t miss your turn!
- After reviewing all projects, judges will select a group of finalists who will compete for top prizes from each age level.
- Finalists will be given an opportunity to present their project, with a microphone to the entire audience (this is not mandatory but encouraged).
- If a project is not a finalist, they will still be eligible for the audience award.
- Organizers will announce the showcase numbers that are up next, and at that time we need all participants in that group to be ready with their presentations.
Judging and Prize Ceremony
- Judges will be looking at how your idea is presented, how well you know and show interest in your topic, and how creative or original your project is.
- At the conclusion of the finalist presentations, the judges will confer once more and then the organizers will announce when judges have chosen their winners.
- Organizers will let everyone know when we will begin our award ceremony
- At the time of this writing we expect there to be 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for each age group (this is subject to change and may depend on # of participants, etc)
- Once prizes have been given out, we will have closing remarks and then end the event.
And the most important thing of all is, have a great time!
STEM Showcase projects can be one of three types:
See below for details on each category.
EXPERIMENTS
What it is: Kids will conduct experiments to explore something they're curious about or test an idea they have.
What to expect: Projects here are like exciting detective missions. Kids will set up experiments with variables they can change (like ingredients, temperature, or time) to see what happens.
Examples: Imagine projects like growing plants in different types of soil to see which grows best, testing how different materials affect a toy car’s speed, or whether objects float differently in water with different additives (salt, sugar, etc,)
Experiment projects are all about asking questions, making guesses, and figuring things out by trying different things. It's all about exploring, discovering, and having fun while learning!
DEMONSTRATIONS
What it is: kids get to explore, demonstrate, and showcase exciting STEM concepts through hands-on projects, interactive displays, and cool models.
What to expect: You'll find projects where kids use their imagination to demonstrate how things work in science, tech, engineering, and math.
Examples: Kids might show how a balloon sticks to the wall with static electricity, demonstrate how gears make things move, or create a model of the solar system to show how planets move around the sun, or simulate how electricity works in Minecraft.
Demonstration projects are all about showing how STEM ideas work in a simple and engaging way. It’s about showing, learning, and sparking curiosity in others!
INNOVATIONS
What it is: New ideas and creations that solve problems or make things better using science, technology, engineering, or math!
What to expect: In this category, you'll see amazing projects where kids invent cool gadgets, come up with clever solutions to help people or the planet, or create something totally new that nobody has ever seen before.
Examples: Think of projects like designing a robot to clean up beaches, inventing a game that teaches math in a fun way, creating a device to help plants grow better, or even building a model of a futuristic city powered by renewable energy.
Innovations are about being imaginative and thinking outside the box. Kids get to use their
creativity to dream up new inventions and find smart ways to solve big problems in the world.
- Experiments
- Start with a question, then seek to answer through scientific method
- Demonstrations
- Explain how a particular topic works
- Innovations
- Create something new
See below for details on each category.
EXPERIMENTS
What it is: Kids will conduct experiments to explore something they're curious about or test an idea they have.
What to expect: Projects here are like exciting detective missions. Kids will set up experiments with variables they can change (like ingredients, temperature, or time) to see what happens.
Examples: Imagine projects like growing plants in different types of soil to see which grows best, testing how different materials affect a toy car’s speed, or whether objects float differently in water with different additives (salt, sugar, etc,)
Experiment projects are all about asking questions, making guesses, and figuring things out by trying different things. It's all about exploring, discovering, and having fun while learning!
DEMONSTRATIONS
What it is: kids get to explore, demonstrate, and showcase exciting STEM concepts through hands-on projects, interactive displays, and cool models.
What to expect: You'll find projects where kids use their imagination to demonstrate how things work in science, tech, engineering, and math.
Examples: Kids might show how a balloon sticks to the wall with static electricity, demonstrate how gears make things move, or create a model of the solar system to show how planets move around the sun, or simulate how electricity works in Minecraft.
Demonstration projects are all about showing how STEM ideas work in a simple and engaging way. It’s about showing, learning, and sparking curiosity in others!
INNOVATIONS
What it is: New ideas and creations that solve problems or make things better using science, technology, engineering, or math!
What to expect: In this category, you'll see amazing projects where kids invent cool gadgets, come up with clever solutions to help people or the planet, or create something totally new that nobody has ever seen before.
Examples: Think of projects like designing a robot to clean up beaches, inventing a game that teaches math in a fun way, creating a device to help plants grow better, or even building a model of a futuristic city powered by renewable energy.
Innovations are about being imaginative and thinking outside the box. Kids get to use their
creativity to dream up new inventions and find smart ways to solve big problems in the world.