Events · Science Fair
Four hundred projects and a strict one-volcano rule.
Our biggest public event: every science kid presents a project, 60 volunteer judges talk to them about it, and the gym smells like vinegar for a week.
- Date
- March 14, 2026
- Projects
- ~400
- Judges
- 60
- Admission
- Free
The Science Fair is not a competition, though there are ribbons. It is a public accounting: every kid in the science program stands next to a poster and answers questions from adults they have never met. Some of those adults are engineers. Some are grandparents. Some are other kids, which is the hardest and best audience.
The day
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Project setup. Kids hang posters, arrange materials, and get nervous. |
| 10:00 | Doors open. Public viewing begins. |
| 10:30 | Judging rounds. 60 judges, 12 questions each, no yes-or-no questions allowed. |
| 12:30 | Lunch (provided for judges and kids), and the famous exploding-volcano exhibition. |
| 1:30 | Kid's choice awards — every kid votes, and this is the ribbon people actually want. |
| 2:30 | Ribbons and closing. Everyone takes their project down and cleans the gym. |
The judging rubric
Judges score four things, each out of five: the question (is it a question you could actually answer?), the method (did you do the thing you said you would do?), the notebook (is the process visible, including the wrong turns?), and the explanation (can you tell me about it without reading your poster?). No points for neatness, expense, or how impressive the topic sounds. A well-run experiment on which paper towel absorbs most wins over a fancy project a parent built.
The volcano rule
One erupting volcano in the exhibition, by lottery, and it must be built by the kid. We instituted this in 2019 after six volcanoes in one gym. It is not a comment on volcanoes. It is a comment on doing the thing you already know the answer to because it is safe.
Judge
We need 60 judges every year and we are always short. You do not need a science background. You need two hours, a willingness to ask a kid 'how do you know?', and the ability to not do the project for them in your head. Sign up by email and we will send the rubric and a parking pass.
The best project I ever judged was a kid testing whether their dog preferred one brand of treat. It was rigorous, it was funny, and the dog was the control group. That kid is now a vet tech.
Come to the fair
March 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hawthorne and Cully. Free, no tickets, all ages.