Metro Detroit Science Fair Showcases 1,400 Top Students

Tim Fino, director of the Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit, announced that 1,378 sixth- to 12th-grade students will compete next week for awards and recognition in the STEM disciplines – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The venue is the 54th Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit, one of the largest such Fairs in the United States.

New this year is dramatically increased representation from Detroit Public Schools. Mostly due to encouragement and support from Robert Bobb, Financial Manager of DPS, the impetus for Detroit students to participate was accelerated even more after President Obama's State of the Union speech in which he emphasized the value to America of super Science Fair stars over Super Bowl stars. The result is that 668 Detroit Public Schools students will compete in the 2011 fair -- twice as many as last year.

Throughout the history of the Detroit Fair, winning entrants have done exceedingly well at the State Science Fair. Ultimately, they also compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair, to be held this year in Los Angeles. In prior years, Detroit Fair students have won as much as $250,000 in cash awards and scholarships at ISEF.

The Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit will be held March 15-19 at Cobo Center in Detroit. Students set up their projects on March 15 and are judged on March 16. The fair is open to the public free of charge March 17 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Judges come from all walks of life, but are drawn primarily from the local automotive industry. This year, as in the past years, a large percentage of judges come from Ford Motor Co. -- 122 judges from Ford are registered to date. This year there is a special emphasis on chemistry, so SEFMD has solicited judges from Southeast Michigan chemical companies in response to this trend.

On Friday, May 27, SEFMD will host an evening Grand Awards Reception at the DAC.

More at www.sefmd.org.