STUDENTS
Getting ready for your first fair can seem overwhelming at first. But remember:
1) It’s a collaborative effort. Your parents, teachers, and others can help out in various ways. Like providing materials, or tools, or guidance, or information, or, when it’s most needed, encouragement. And, of course, you can always contact the BASEF committee.
2) Every year thousands of students from across Canada compete in over 100 regional fairs. You can be one of them.
So why take part in a fair? Well, most participants develop a project because they are really interested in the topic. And after spending hours working on your project why not show it off? Of course, you are also competing for lots of prizes, cash, scholarships, trophies, and trips to the national and international fairs.
And then there is the social factor. Meeting other like-minded people can lead to lifelong friendships or, at the very least, let you meet others with similar interests.
Where do you start?
A successful project starts when you come up with an idea or topic that you want to explore. This has to be something you find interesting. Bonus points if it happens to line up with your school curriculum.
1) Make sure you are eligible here.
2) Come up with an idea. These resources may help.
3) Review the rules.
The rules for grades 7 and 8 are slightly different than those for grades 9 to 12. Review the rules that apply to you:
4) Start your project. Registration will be in February and the fair will be in March.
Project Life Cycle
Why is the diagram a circle? Because exploring an idea often leads to more questions and ideas that can be explored.
Parents/Guardians
Parents, you are critical to a successful project. You provide the support and encouragement required to ensure that your child succeeds. But this doesn’t mean doing the work. You need to balance your desire to see your child succeed while remembering that their sense of pride and ownership is based on their accomplishment, not yours.
More information on your role is available here..
Teachers
Teachers are usually critical to a successful project. Fostering a sense of inquisitiveness and providing support and encouragement when needed are key roles (among others) that you provide. And you provide this within the context of the curriculum and bring many specialized skills.
More teacher-specific support material is available here.
