CA listers: State Science Fair needs volunteers to refine Judging & Project Policies

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Hall, Dale by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Dale.Hall-at-trw-dot-com>


Sounds like there've alot of "beefs".

Step up and do something in your district to make it better!!

I have been a County & State Judge for the past 17 years.

LACSF & CSSF do a very respectable job, each Judging ~1000 projects each year.

Multiple Judges moderate individual interests and opinions.

Science, Methodology (controls), and Creative involvement are rewarded.

Calif. creativity:
  Heathers Bowens fiber optic heart & respiration monitor
  http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/1990/S08.html#S0803
  an original idea to avoid neonatal entanglement in wires: designed sensor
in pad the baby lays on.

There are infrequent TC project's at the fairs (1 every other year avg):
  Those that just build a TC without doing scientific data collection,
display & interpretation 
  or those that just present a research paper (without original research),
do not win awards.

  Those demonstrating scientific methodology, test measurement, control,
    insightful conclusions, original thinking, creative involvement and 
    offer value via interpretation, dissemination of that learned, WIN Awards.
	Matt Behrend "Differential Equation Model of the TC" LACSF, CSSF 99,
      Troye Welch "Transmitting Power with Tesla Coils"
	  http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/1993/CatWin_S07.html
	Dumm, Christopher J. "The Tesla Coil" 
	  http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/1995/CatWin_J06.html
	Adair, David T. "Effects of a Magnetic Field on an Electron Beam"
        (TC as exciter) 

There are difficulties relating to rules, variation in Judges opinion of
same project,
 but without rules there would be no control
 (fair desires minimal liability and that does close the box a bit on
creativity)
 but as in life, there are rules and consequences

consider volunteering to help with the fair in your County & State,

then Mentor someone to learn more & win awards at the Fair !

FYI:
-----Original Message-----
From: Edwards, Dick [mailto:Dick.Edwards-at-West.Boeing-dot-com]
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 5:13 PM
To: Hall, Dale
Subject: California State Science Fair

Dear California State Science Fair Judge,

Through your participation in the 2001 California State Science Fair,
you know that the Fair has entered some challenging times.  We are
adjusting to a new venue, and efforts are being made to improve
everything about the operations of the event.
 
This kind of change does not just happen automatically.  Volunteers and
ideas are needed to identify what needs to be done and how to do it, and
to implement the plans.  You have an opportunity to be one of these
volunteers.  Judging policies and procedures are developed by the Judges
Action Committee (JAC), which is looking for new members.

The JAC has four primary responsibilities:
1. Judge Recruitment and Retention--locate new judges according to needs
		in the various project categories
	2. Judging Policy Advisory Committee--review, create, and refine
project
		category definitions; update Judging Handbook
	3. Display Approval Committee--establish and maintain standards for
		project displays (particularly things to be avoided) and
communicate
		these to students
	4. Mentoring--match mentors to students who request assistance in
		working through issues with their Science Fair projects

This will be a very busy year for JAC; our first priority is to adjust
category definitions, to accommodate changes in students' interests.
This may be a sweeping revamping of all the categories.  If you have
ever wondered how projects from diverse scientific fields ended up in
the same categories, you now have an opportunity to influence that
process. We are also planning to revive the Mentoring program, which has
benefited students from all over the United States, and Canada.

We need experienced judges to help with these tasks, people who have an
understanding of how and why the judging process works, and who can help
students understand what makes a winning Science Fair project.  If you
have the knowledge and interest to help the California State Science
Fair in these very important tasks, we invite you to attend the next JAC
meeting:

 	When: Tuesday 2 October 2001, 6:00 p.m.
 	Where: California Science Center, The Muses Room (directions
provided on request)

Thank you very much for your consideration of this call to service.