Why is the science fair important?
The science fair encourages students to be curious, ask questions, and seek answers. It allows students to engage in science in a hands-on manner, which leads to an increased level of self-confidence in our participants. Further, participating in the fair helps students develop their written and oral communication skills. Lastly, it teaches students valuable problem-solving skills by applying the scientific method.
Project Goals
- Increase enrollment in the science fair.
- Provide students with the opportunity to develop positive relationships with adults in the community.
- Expose students to science in a new way.
- Provide a meaningful civic engagement opportunity to the Austin community.
Project Impact
- Assisted a total of 607 students in participating in the science fair at four different Austin Elementary Schools.
- Volunteers dedicated over 8,200 hours to this program between 2014 and 2020.
- Helped 93 students attend the regional science fair in Mankato.
- Introduced 1,436 students to science through a science fair kick-off activity.
History of the Project
This project started in 2014 in an effort to remove language, educational, and socioeconomic barriers that prevent students from participating in the science fair. The Science Fair Mentoring Project was born out of a desire to support these students. This project assisted students at four Austin, MN elementary schools until 2020.
A Board of Directors and a steering committee comprised of community members, educators, and scientists led the project.
This webpage is maintained to share data about this project and provide resources to students and parents regarding the science fair. If you are a parent, student, or teacher looking for science fair support, please click the links below.
Page updated on 4/17/2023.
© 2023 Catherine Haslag. All rights reserved. This content can be used for educational purposes only.