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| March 5 – 7, 2024 | |
Register Online 
2024 WinnersFair Location – California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB)
Campus Map (Science Fair Location)
| After you register online, be sure to print a hard copy of the Science Fair registration to send the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) with the required signatures. The mailing address is listed below and will be listed on your registration form. |
The Monterey County Science Fair encourages children to pursue in-depth study of natural phenomena through scientific research and acknowledges the positive accomplishments of those youth. Assisted by dedicated teachers and supportive families, each year children in grades 6 – 12 throughout Monterey County develop projects in research categories ranging from Applied Mechanics to Plant Biology for the Science Fair.
During the fair, students display their research projects and present their findings orally and through written journals to a team of scientists who volunteer as judges. Through interactions with the participants, these judges confirm the students’ understandings of the scientific concepts and the research methods involved in their projects. The judges also will offer practical and positive feedback regarding their application of the scientific method to a problem, encouraging them to improve their future scientific research efforts.
Science Fair projects are awarded prizes in 13 Junior (grades 6-8) and Senior (grades 9-12) Division categories with the First Place winners in each category becoming eligible to participate in the California State Science Fair, May 17-18 2024. Thanks to our community sponsors, the top two Senior Division projects may be eligible for sponsorship to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, May 9-15, 2024 in San Jose, California.
The Science Fair is sponsored by Monterey County Office Of Education, The U.S. Naval Postgraduate School of Monterey, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and community partners. This year’s fair will be hosted at the University Center on the campus of CSUMB on March 6, 2024. The public is invited to view the students’ science projects at 3 p.m., or upon completion of judging, in the University Center. Outstanding projects in each category are recognized at an Awards Assembly held in the same location at CSUMB (Building 29), 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, 2024.
Here is a complete listing of the project categories. Each of these categories is described and examples are given. Your project should attempt to fall into one of these categories. Also, note that some categories are for Junior Division (grades 6-8) projects only.
NOTE: Projects involving human subjects, tissue sample sources (including DNA source materials), and live vertebrate animals are subject to special regulation and, if allowed by the Scientific Review Committee, must be conducted under the supervision of an adult sponsor. If your topic deals with any of these areas, it must be approved PRIOR to the start of experimentation. Please complete the Safety & Humane Certification Form if your project involves human subjects, tissue sample sources or live vertebrate animals. Please bring your signed form on project registration day.
Safety & Humane Certification Form (Word Format)
Safety & Humane Certification Form (PDF Format)
| Begin Online application registration | November 1, 2024 |
| Registration/Application Due Date | February 10, 2024 |
| Project Setup, Friday 2:30 – 5:30 pm | March 5, 2024 |
| Students may check in at the lobby of the University Center, CSUMB, beginning at 2:35 pm. After a safety check, you may take your project/exhibit to a categorically and numerically assigned table in the ballroom. Set-up must be complete by 5:30 pm. Please ask for assistance from one of our volunteers if you have trouble locating your category or your assigned project space. *Be sure your project is in the correct location or the judges may not be able to evaluate your project. | |
| Science Fair, Saturday – Judging, 8 AM – Student Interviews 11 AM – 1 PM – Public viewing: 3:30 PM or upon the completion of judging. | March 6, 2024 |
| Judges arrive at 7:30 for an orientation and the judging will begin at 8 am. Students: please arrive at the University Center lobby between 10:45 and 11:00 am. At 11, students (no parents or teachers) will be admitted to the ballroom for interviews. These interviews should conclude by approximately 1 pm. Please stay by your project during the interview time. If you wander around the ballroom, you may miss your opportunity to discuss your project with the judges. Once your interview is complete, you may leave the ballroom. Should it occur that you have not been interviewed by 12:30, please notify one of our volunteers who will locate a judging team to interview you.PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE BALLROOM DURING INTERVIEWS or JUDGING. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.Public viewing: There will be two opportunities for public viewing. The Ballroom will be open for public viewing of projects from approximately 3:30 pm to 5 pm, or upon the completion of judging. While specific awards will not be announced, projects that will be receiving an award will be tagged before public viewing. If your project is not receiving an award, please take it home on Saturday afternoon. If your project is receiving an award, we request that you leave it on display through the Awards Ceremony on Sunday. If you leave your project, it must be picked up by 3:30 on Sunday. Any projects not picked up will be left at the dumpster located at the rear of the parking lot adjacent to the University Center. | |
| Awards Assembly, Sunday – Public Viewing of Winning Projects: 10:30 – 1 PM – Awards Ceremony, 1 PM | March 7,2024 |
| The Awards Ceremony will be held from 1-3:30 in the University Center Ballroom. Please take your exhibits with you after the conclusion of the ceremony. Any project left behind will be disposed. | |
Register Online!
Remember, all 2024 Science Fair applications must be completed online!
Click here to register Online (November 1,2023 – February 10, 2024.
This is the mailing address you will send your printed and signed registration forms to:
Science Fair – Attn: Jim Brown
Monterey County Office of Education
901 Blanco Circle
Salinas, CA 93912-0851
The following people/organizations are proud sponsors of the Monterey County Science and Engineering Fair:
| The Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation |  |
| The William McCaskey Chapman and Adaline Dinsmore Chapman Foundation | |
 Masslogics Trucking Software | National Marking Products |
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