All K-12 students from public, private, and home schools in Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, and Mason Counties are invited to participate. There is no registration fee. Students must register by Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Registrations will not be accepted after this date without contacting the Fair Director.
The South Sound Regional Science Fair began in 1998. Twelve teachers from Pierce and Thurston counties approached Pacific Lutheran University and requested that PLU host a regional science fair. Since the South Sound Regional Science Fair (SSRSF) began, it has grown in the number of participants. In 2010 there were 480 Kindergarten through 12th grade students from 66 schools in Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, and Mason counties.
The fair is hosted by Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Project presentation and judging takes in Olson Auditorium; awards ceremonies are held in Memorial Gymnasium.
Directions to Olson Auditorium:
The Intel Foundation provides a generous grant of $25,000 to Pacific Lutheran University to cover the costs of planning and staging the South Sound Regional Science Fair. The grant also includes funding for travel for the Intel ISEF finalists. Other companies and organizations provide specialty awards and in-kind support for the regional fair.
Educators, scientists, community members, military personnel, and other professionals serve as volunteer judges for the regional science fair. They select the outstanding projects in each grade level or scientific category and provide feedback to all students about the quality of their research and presentation.