A school science fair can be anything from an open-evening event to a week of workshops, talks and drama. Many fairs also include feeder schools and generate interest and awareness of science in the local community.

Science fairs usually include practical, hands-on exhibits, exhibitions of pupil work, problem-solving challenges, talks and lecture demonstrations. They may also involve exhibitors from local science, engineering and technology businesses, science treasure hunts, quizzes, drama and debates on social issues in science.

Science fairs are a great opportunity to increase your students' enthusiasm for science, display pupil work to teachers, parents and guests to the school and also to generate local publicity. They can also be exhausting, time consuming and nerve-wracking. Despite this, they are a lot of fun for pupils and staff alike. If this is your first science fair start small, they usually become a school institution overnight.

Information on organising science events in school is available from the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). Contact details for the BA are on the SY Partners page of this CD. Their advice pack includes ideas for fundraising, activities and organisation of your event. The new pack will be available from January 2002. Sheffield Hallam University's Pupil Researcher Initiative (PRI) have also produced a book entitled 'Celebrating Science' with detailed advice and suggestions for organising science fairs. PRI have kindly supplied extracts from this publication for this CD ROM (see Case Histories).

• Choose a number of team members from staff and students, but keep the core number fairly small (6-8 people).
• Decide where, when and for how long your event will run. There may be a point in the school calendar when your event could be run more easily, or you may wish to align your event with National Science Week co-ordinated by the BA.
  
• Decide what your event will involve. Selecting a broad theme for the event often helps when deciding which exhibits, speakers and practical activities to choose. You could link your event to one of the Science Year themes:
• Who am I?
  
• Is there life?
  
• Can we; should we?
  
• Only connect
  
• AKA Science
• Select activities and calculate your budget. Remember that a science fair could be something as simple as running one activity per day, perhaps for different year groups throughout the school.
• Approach your head teacher for funding and permission to contact local business for support, if you are planning a large event.
• Invite guest speakers and exhibitors well in advance.
• Plan each activity in detail (e.g. location, timing, resource preparation etc.).
• Produce advertising posters, publicise the events through assemblies and school newsletters etc. and organise refreshments. Invite local press to cover your event.
• Recruit stewards for the event to sell tickets in advance, serve refreshments on the day, staff the exhibits and help with clearing up etc.
• Celebrate the success of your event with certificates and prizes for students taking part. For larger events, a special awards ceremony may be a good way of emphasising the success of their efforts.
  

Possible sources of income are:

• Admission fees to experiment rooms, talks and lectures
• Refreshment sales
• Sale of mementoes (e.g. helium balloons, science fair pens etc.)

and for larger events:

• Programme sales
  
• Programme advertising
  
• Donations from exhibitors

Costs are likely to include:

• Printing of tickets, advertising posters and programmes
• Travel expenses for visiting speakers
• Resource costs for practical activities
• Refreshments for speakers and exhibitors
• Prizes for competitions
• Photograph costs

and for larger events:

• Venue (e.g. caretaking staff if outside school hours)
  
• Hire of exhibition boards
  
• Printing of signs and maps for visitors

Two detailed case studies show how schools in the North of England have used science fairs to enthuse pupils. These are extracted from 'Celebrating Science' (published jointly by the PRI and the BA ISBN 0863396526).

The Cumbria Fair of Science and Technology
Ullswater Community College, Penrith

The Science Extravaganza
Buttershaw Upper School, Bradford

FAIR HISTORIES