Organizers of the upcoming New Haven Science Fair need more than 200 volunteers to serve as mentors and judges.
The goal is to create excitement among young people for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), so more will pursue careers in these fields. The science fair program started in 1994, and it has since grown to include over 8,000 students in New Haven.
According to event organizers, graduates with a STEM educational background are in high demand in all job sectors. It is estimated that in the next five years, major American companies will need to add nearly 1.6 million STEM-skilled employees.
Judging is a two day commitment, on May 13 from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and May 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The fair is at Floyd Little Athletic Center, Hillhouse High School, 480 Sherman Parkway, New Haven.
Judges evaluate projects according to a set of guidelines and collaborate with other judges. They speak with students to learn about their projects. When registering, judges can indicate their preference for the type and grade level of projects they would like to review.
Funders for this year include: Alexion, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, the Dennis Bornick Fund, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Kinder-Morgan Foundation, NewAlliance Foundation, New Haven Manufacturing Association, Pfizer Corp., Southern Connecticut State University, Science Park, Shipman & Goodwin, Watershed Foundation, Yale New Haven Hospital, and Yale University.
The New Haven Science Fair Program operates under the Foundation of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
To register to be a judge, visit https://www.nhsciencefair.org/judge-registration. For more information, visit www.nhsciencefair.org.
