What: Students in grades 5 through 12 participate in a regional science competition.
Date: Tuesday, March 18 through Thursday, March 20, 2014.
Public viewing time: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Media viewing time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
Place: Rice-Eccles Stadium tower, level four and five, University of Utah.

March 14, 2014 – The 12th annual Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair will be held March 18-20 at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium tower, drawing some 573 science projects.

More than 700 public, private and charter school students from the Canyons, Granite, Murray, Park City, Salt Lake and Tooele school districts and the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City will compete in the regional science fair organized by the University of Utah’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education.

Students are able to present their scientific work and interact with experts in their field to receive feedback on their efforts.

“We are excited to showcase the scientific and engineering endeavors of these students.  They are intelligent, creative and innovative, and they are enthusiastic to share their work with the scientists and engineers who serve as our judges,” says fair Director Brenda Mann, a vice president at SentrX Animal Care and a research associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Utah. “In the past few years, there has been a push for more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, and these students are clearly putting words into action.  By participating in the fair, these students gain a hands-on experience in the field.”

A total of 711 students are registered this year. More than 235 judges will evaluate and score the 573 individual and team projects.

“I continue to be inspired by the students and their impressive projects,” says Jody Oostema, the fair’s program manager.  “These students are just beginning amazing journeys that will undoubtedly shape and change our future for the better.”

News media are invited to cover the event Wednesday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to view the projects on Wednesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

A list of award winners in each category will be posted on the fair website by 10 p.m. Friday, March 21, following a private awards ceremony at Taylorsville High School. For more information, please click here.

Senior division winners from the Salt Lake Valley science fair will be eligible to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the largest pre-college science fair in the world. Every May, more than 1,600 students from some 70 countries compete for $4 million in internships, grants, scholarships and prizes.

The Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair is supported and administered by the University of Utah with generous sponsorship by local businesses, which are listed on the fair website.