The Science Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH) provides a unique and beneficial science educational service to public and private junior and senior high school students.
Through the development and presentation of science/engineering projects, students enhance their abilities to: (1) Make observations; (2) Ask questions regarding particular phenomena or situations; (3) Formulate ideas and procedures for the solution of a problem; (4) Use complex and/or analytical reasoning skills to find an answer or a solution to a problem, and (5) Effectively present their works to society. SEFH strongly believes that it is just as important for students to learn how to use mathematics and science as it is to learn the subject material in the classroom. At SEFH we stress understanding not memorization. The educational activities sponsored by SEFH complement the rapidly growing need for students to be able to understand and utilize new technology. In addition SEFH also sponsors a Science Writing Contest and a Technical Poster Design Contest.
SPONSORSHIP: SEFH
is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization, supervised by a board of directors and sponsored by the University of Houston-Downtown; the Engineering, Science & Technology Council of Houston; and the Houston Museum of Natural Science and is a member of the International Science Engineering Fair. Each year foundations, professional societies, businesses, individuals, industrial and technical organizations in the Houston area donate about 85% of the operating funds. More than 1,600 volunteer workers, serving on twelve major committees, are responsible for the many activities associated with the fair. Approximately 1,100 professionals volunteer their services to the fair as judges. SEFH has no employees.
COVERAGE: SEFH
serves as the regional fair for all public and privatejunior and senior high school students in the 16-county surrounding area. Major regional fair winners are eligible to compete in the annual international science and engineering fair. Last year marked another successful year with 1,360 student entries from 185 schools. Approximately 28,000 projects were entered in the preliminary school/district fair competitions. SEFH has more students who actually participate in the judging process than any other science fair in the world.
EXHIBITS AND AWARDS: The 2000 SEFH projects are scheduled for judging and display March 23-25 at the Astroarena Exhibition Center.
Individual projects will be entered in either the Junior/Middle School (grades 7&8) Division, Ninth Grade Division, or Senior Division (grades 10-12). Individual project categories include: behavioral/social science, botany, chemistry, biochemistry/microbiology, computers, earth/space science, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, medicine/health, physics, and zoology. Team project categories for the Junior/Middle School Division include: botany/environmental science/zoology; behavioral science/ biochemistry/ medicine & health; engineering/computers/mathematics, and physical sciences. In 1999 SEFH awarded 176 "Place Awards" and 86 businesses, industries, technical societies, government agencies, and educational institutions presented a total of 462 "Special Awards," fellowships, and scholarships. Dow Chemical awarded scholarships to the 36 Place Award winners in the Senior Division. In addition, the two top awards winners in both the Junior and Ninth Grade Divisions received scholarships from the American Petroleum Institute plus the four Grand Award winners received additional scholarships from Shell Oil.Mobil Oil provided three Teacher of the Year Awards and Toyota Motors selected one teacher for "The Toyota $10,000 Shopping Spree Award." Shell Oil also sponsored an Awards Banquet hosted by the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Junior Division winners were eligible to enter the new national Discovery Young Scientist Challenge competition.