The Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair (EISEF) takes place each year in March, usually on the third Saturday, in Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This year's Fair is scheduled for Saturday, March 20, 2010.
Mission Statement
We are the Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair (EISEF).
Our mission is to inspire eastern Iowa's students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and math.
To accomplish our mission, every year we do the following:
- We challenge the students in grades 6–12 to do science projects.
- We support their parents and teachers in guiding their projects.
- We invite them to Cedar Rapids to exhibit their projects and explain what they learned.
- We recognize the deserving students with awards, prizes, and scholarships.
- We send the very best students to the International Science and Engineering Fair, to exhibit their projects alongside the best students from around the world.
- We raise funds and mobilize volunteers and resources to make all this happen.
- We try to have fun doing it, and make it fun for everyone else.
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
EISEF is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), an activity of Science Service. EISEF's ID is #250101. For more information, follow one of these ISEF Web links:
Exhibitor Classifications
- 2 Research Categories: Biological and Physical.
- 2 Age Groups: Junior (grades 6–8) and Senior (grades 9–12).
- 2 Project Types: Individual and Team
- 5 Divisions:
- Junior Biological (JB)
- Junior Physical (JP)
- Junior Teams (JT)
- Senior Biological (SB)
- Senior Physical (SP)
See the Students & Teachers page for more information.
Rules
For the Senior Age Group (grades 9–12), EISEF follows ISEF's Rules. EISEF Rules are specific on exhibit size and height as well as handling live animals and hazardous organisms, materials or displays. Junior Age Group certification rules are relaxed, giving teachers more discretion.
Awards
The top EISEF Awards winners and their teachers will win trips to the International Science and Engineering Fair. EISEF also presents Class and Division Awards using donated moneys.
Organizations and companies can Sponsor Awards by applying to the EISEF Awards Committee; a sponsor can do the judging and presentation for its award. Visit our Award Signup page for more information about sponsoring an award.
Eligible schools
Students attending public, private, or home school anywhere in the eastern half of Iowa, within roughly 150 miles of Cedar Rapids, are eligible to participate in the EISEF. EISEF's eastern boundary is the Mississippi River; the western boundary is just west of Mason City, Marshalltown, and Ottumwa, but east of Ames, Newton, and Pella. Specifically schools in the following counties are assigned to EISEF:
Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Clinton, Davis, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Grundy, Hardin, Henry, Howard, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Mahaska, Marshall, Mitchell, Muscatine, Poweshiek, Scott, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington, Winneshiek, Worth.
Other Iowa Science Fairs
The Western Iowa Science and Engineering Fair in Sheldon is the ISEF-affiliated regional fair that covers the schools and students in Iowa west of EISEF's territory. This year's WISEF is scheduled for March 13, 2010. For more information, read the 2010 WISEF Fair Guidebook (on the SSTFI website) or visit the ISEF Affiliated Fairs page.
The State Science & Technology Fair of Iowa (SSTFI) in Ames is a State Fair and all students in Iowa may participate in that fair as well as their regional fair. This year's SSTFI is scheduled for March 26–27, 2010. Top 2 winners from each regional and state fair may go on to the International Fair held each May.
Funding
All the money we use to run the Fair comes from private donations. All donations
are tax deductible; our federal tax ID (EIN) is
Officers
Requirements for board membership
None, other than willingness and ability to volunteer time.
Info & Entries
see Contacts
Chronology
- Preceded by "PTA Science Fair", Cedar Rapids Memorial Coliseum.
- 1959: Incorporated as "Eastern Iowa Science Fair".
- 1960: Held at Coe College, Cedar Rapids.
- 1973: Moved to Washington High School, Cedar Rapids.
- 1975: Name changed to "Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair".
- 1984: Moved to Westdale Mall, Cedar Rapids.
- 1999: Moved to Lindale Mall, Cedar Rapids.
- 2000: For the first time, EISEF sent four students (instead of just two) to the International Fair (ISEF).
- 2001: EISEF website inaugurated.
- 2005: EISEF started accepting senior teams (grades 9–12).
- 2007: EISEF started accepting grade 6 students.
- 2009: EISEF selected its first team project as Senior Champions (Pandy Wadsworth & Yogita Singh from Fairfield).
Publicity info contact
Heather Adams