Science fairs are a pathway to healthcare and other STEM careers for K-12 students. Educators and a medical student share their lived experience and advice for participants and organizers.
Get your trifold boards ready. Science fair season is coming.
Science fairs give K-12 students around the world an opportunity to explore an interest, learn the scientific method, share their results—and just maybe get inspired to pursue a career in healthcare or another STEM field.
Volunteering to Close Equity Gaps at Science Fairs
In November 2024, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) partnered with the St. Maarten Science Fair Foundation. Students have often volunteered at fairs as judges, but this time, AUC hosted a workshop to help educators on the island prepare to provide an inspiring experience for students during the spring 2025 science fair.
says Dr. Natalie Humphrey, assistant dean for community engagement.
Here, one of those AUC students, as well as STEM education faculty at Walden University, share their science fair advice and experiences for participants and organizers.
Zachary Stockton
5th Semester Student
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
My Experience with Science Fairs
Before medical school, I taught sixth and seventh grade science and was in charge of running the annual school science fair. I remember what it was like my first year having no idea where to start. My fondest memories are working with my students through all of their projects, seeing how much fun they had with their experiments and watching the reactions when they were announced as winners.
Advice for Participants
Put in the work early and set up your project correctly. Having a good, properly worded question, hypothesis and procedure makes the rest of the project run smoothly. Don’t worry if your project did not go the way you hoped. That is what science is all about! Some of the greatest inventions were discovered because the scientist’s original experiment failed, and we discovered something new.
Advice for Science Fair Organizers
My advice for educators is to start early and space it out. The science fair is a lot of work for both you and the student, especially if they only have a few weeks on top of their usual studies. Having the students work on it piece by piece throughout the term allows them to devote more attention to each segment.
Also, collaborate with other teachers. This saved me so much time in grading! Having our English teachers work with the students on research and works cited, as well as the art teacher allowing students to use supplies in a class or two for them to work on their board was a huge help.
Our science fair was held during the school day where classes could come in and see all of the projects. After school, we had a “Celebration of learning in science and engineering night.” Students would stand by their projects and present their board to the families that had been invited to celebrate all of the students. This gave the students a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Dr. Keva Yarbrough
Faculty Member
Walden University Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Services
Research on STEM Activities for Children
In 2024, I shared “How Enhanced Mathematics Instruction Can Transform Student Identities and Eliminate Cultural Barriers to Teaching and Learning” at the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference.
One of the things it demonstrated was how teachers can help develop students’ mathematics and science identities and eliminate barriers to academic achievement.
My research was rooted in my own experiences as a student. In first grade, the teacher put math problems on the board. I wrote down the problems and took them to her desk to turn in my work. She said, “Where are the answers?” And I said “Answers?” I didn't know what the word answer meant. That was my first negative experience with mathematics.
When I was in ninth grade, on the first day of class in Algebra 2, the teacher had a problem on the board that dealt with order of operations. She told us which number was the answer, but she took it a step further and explained why. When she did that, the light bulb in my brain turned on and I’ve been carrying the torch for mathematics ever since.
I share these particular experiences to show that your mathematics and science identity can change.
Advice for Participants
Take advantage of every opportunity afforded to you at the science fair. The feedback you receive is going to empower you to become stronger for your next project. Remember that you stand on the shoulders of your parents, teachers and mentors. Experience all you can and it will be an experience you will never forget.
Advice for Organizers
Embrace diversity and create opportunities and scholarships for those who may not have the advantage of being able to participate because of financial reasons. We’re all in this together with a common goal: to make sure that students’ learning needs are met.
Dr. Angela Kyle
Faculty Member
Walden University Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Services
Research on STEM Activities for Children
I developed an innovative STEM course for sixth-grade students as part of my doctoral research. One of the features includes bringing weekly guest speakers to share their STEM journey with students. Incorporating guest speakers was purposeful to increase engagement and evolve student perceptions of STEM.
Representation can support increasing diversity in STEM, and this real-world connection was facilitated by bringing in guest speakers in STEM fields and modeled for students how their learning connects to real people in real careers. This experience, in general, can encourage students on STEM pathways, including toward a future in healthcare.
The students also create a STEM project on a topic of their choice and present their findings at a mini-STEM fair to school and community members. As an introductory STEM course, the goal is to pique students’ interest. The mini-STEM fair allows the students to share something they are passionate about, build confidence in their communication skills, and show off their hard work and expertise.
Advice for Participants
Choose a topic that interests you. Learning is much more fun and engaging when you’re genuinely curious about the topic. You will spend a significant amount of time invested in this project. You will become an expert and have the opportunity to share learned knowledge with a specific audience. To become an expert on a topic, you need to know the information out there. We have access to unlimited data and information. Find out what has already been done and what is already known. If you are repeating something, put your own spin on it to make it unique.
Be persistent and have fun. Science is all about tests and trials and learning from mistakes. Some of the greatest scientific discoveries were unexpected and evolved from mistakes. Don’t give up if your experiment doesn’t work out as you planned. Figure out what went wrong and how you can improve it. Even if your project isn’t perfect, demonstrating what you learned from challenges will impress the audience.
Advice for Organizers
Be sure to foster an environment that encourages curiosity but also provides clear guidance and support. Establish clear expectations for project guidelines and offer resources to help students research and design their experiments.
Also, make sure to embed regular check-ins to help students stay on track throughout the process. It is important to ensure the event is inclusive and accessible, providing opportunities for all students and making time for feedback and reflection.
Finally, celebrate the effort and growth of all participants to encourage a lifelong love of learning and science.
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