Be part of the AAUW Woodbridge Branch judging team at the PWC Regional Science Fair Saturday, March 16, at the Kelley Leadership Center, 14715 Bristow Road Manassas, VA 20112. Judges are asked to arrive by 8 a.m. to enjoy light refreshments and participate in a brief welcome and overview of the day’s events. Then our judging team divides up the exhibits to be evaluated.

The Science Fair was created for Prince William/Manassas area students to exhibit independent research projects in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science.  We will judge just the Middle School (Seventh and Eighth grades girls’ exhibits.  These are critical years when many girls begin to lose interest in or their confidence begins to wane in the STEM fields.  AAUW strongly advocates for girls to excel in STEM school subjects and to consider careers in these areas given the robust job market and potential for advancement, economic security and opportunities to serve in leadership roles.

In order to be selected for participation in the Regional Fair, the students must have placed in the top of their category at their home school. During the Regional Science Fair, the students’ projects are judged on the following criteria: Background Knowledge and Plan, Experimental Design and Procedures, Results/Conclusions, Display, Clarity (interview and display), and Creative Ability and Originality. The Judge’s handbook provides a helpful list of questions we can pose to the students as we evaluate their displays.

This year, we will select a first, second, and third place and one honorable mention winning exhibit.  Branch members who would like to serve on this year’s judging panel are asked to contact Suzanne Harvey, Judging Chair, at (571) 437-7109 or Harvey.suzannel@gmail.com.  Optimally, we need a team of five or six judges to be able to visit all the exhibits and make our final decisions by 11:30 a.m. and have time to personalize the certificates and small gifts in preparation for the afternoon award ceremony that is held at 3:00 p.m.  Judges are not required to attend the award ceremony but are most welcome to do so!