Pott Foundation Tri State Science and Engineering Fair seeking sponsorships

Opportunities are open for businesses, industry, and individuals to provide sponsorships for the Pott Foundation Tri State Science and Engineering Fair, open to students in area middle schools and high schools within a 75-mile radius of Evansville. The fair will be held on March 12-13, 2009 at the University of Southern Indiana.

Dr. Scott Gordon, dean of the Pott College of Science and Engineering at USI, said, “The Pott Foundation Tri State Science and Engineering Fair will be the largest celebration of science in the Tri-State and will offer an exciting opportunity for students to display their research projects and receive recognition for their work.”

This event is the 60^th year for the science and engineering fair that was held at the University of Evansville in recent years. The University of Evansville discontinued its longtime administrative sponsorship of the fair, but will continue to support both the regional and state events through scholarships and assistance in judging.

Sponsorships by businesses, individuals, and industry are available for the 2008 fair. The sponsorships range from $1 to $5,000 in five categories. Blue, white, and red sponsorships are offered at various amounts up to $500. Category sponsorships are available for $1,000 and those sponsors will get their name on the program and on a category sign, introduction at the fair, an award presentation opportunity, and the option to hang a banner at the event. The $5,000 sponsorship, called a Presenting Sponsor, will get the same benefits as the Category sponsors plus a company or business logo on the science and engineering fair t-shirt. Persons interested in a sponsorship at any of the five levels may call the USI Foundation at 812/464-1925 or Scott Gordon in the Pott College at USI. Click on this link for more details...

The fair offers two divisions in the competition. The junior division is for students in grades six to eight; the senior division is for students in grades nine to 12.

There are 12 categories plus a team projects category. The categories are behavior and social sciences; botany; chemistry and biochemistry; computer science; earth and space sciences; engineering; environmental science; mathematics; medicine, health, and gerontology; and microbiology, physics, and zoology.

The event will serve as the qualifier for the state and International Science and Engineering Fair (this year in Reno, Nevada). Awards will include six $1,500 renewable USI scholarships in the senior division, laptop computers for top winners in the junior and senior category, cash awards, and plaques for winners. In addition, cash awards will go to classrooms with the most participants at the junior and senior divisions and to the classrooms of the winners, plus other awards.

Rules for the competition are available on the Web site at www.usi.edu/science/fair. The site also offers ideas on how to come up with an idea for a project, key aspects of a successful project, how to prepare a scientific paper, what science fair judges want to see, and more.

The co-directors of the fair are Dr. Shelly Blunt, associate dean of the Pott College of Science and Engineering and associate professor of chemistry, and Dave Ellert, instructor in engineering.

Sponsorship giving levels