Free Parent Workshop on
How to Create a Science Fair Project 

Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, 2009

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Host: Teaching Parent's Association

Redmond Library

15990 N.E. 85th, Redmond, WA

Sponsored by the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF)

52 years of encouraging science in grades 1 - 12

Over 1 million dollars in scholarships and prizes awarded in 2009

Workshop topics will include:

The Benefits of a Science Fair Project

The Reluctant Science Student

The Scientific Method

Steps for an "Inquiry Based" Science Project 

Steps for an Engineering Project 

The speaker is Kandis Brighton. She has a B.S. in Math/Computer Science. Her five children (ages 8 to 17) have participated in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) for the last six years. Kandis is on the WSSEF Board as their Homeschool Liaison. Two of her children received university scholarships at WSSEF. Her oldest daughter won a $40K scholarship from OWU at 12 years old. This year her 13-year-old son won a $60K scholarship from the same university. In May, Kandis's 16-year-old son graduated Magna Cum Laude from Saint Martin’s University in Mechanical Engineering.

WSSEF is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers to promote science. Private businesses, the military and universities provide scholarships and awards. The WSSEF website is: http://www.wssef.org

Future Science Fair Workshop

Link Homeschool Group, Keyport, WA, Tues.,  Jan. 19^th, 2010, Evening

Free Parent Workshops on

How to Create a Science Fair Project

We can show you how to integrate science fairs into your curriculum! Whether you want your student to start with a simple project or create an award winner, we will show you how. Dates for 2 workshops are listed below and 3 more are in the planning phase.

Workshop topics include: The Benefits of a Science Fair Project, The Reluctant Science Student, The Scientific Method, & How to Create a Science Fair Project. We continue to learn more each year! This year the workshops will include more information on engineering projects and on judging.

Project subjects can be from your student’s area of interest or from the area of science being covered that year. They can be worked on a couple hours each week or completed as a 3 to 8 week unit study. Whatever works for you. The time commitment is worth it! Prizes and awards are waiting to be won!

‘How to Create a Science Fair Project’ Workshops

Oct. 6^th, 2009   15211 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA

Jan. 19^th,  2010  Keyport, WA

Washington Homeschool Science & Engineering Fair

Feb. 25^th, 2010   Renton, WA  (tentative date)

Washington State Science & Engineering Fair    www.wssef.org

March 26^th & 27^th, 2010  Bremerton, WA

Details will be sent a few weeks prior to each event. For those who can’t wait for a workshop to get started, the following website is very helpful:   

http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JHS/Brown/HowToDoAProject.htm

This website was designed for middle school projects. Some of their requirements are in excess of the state requirements and they have produced many award-winning projects.

Sponsored by the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair

52 years of encouraging science in grades 1 - 12

Over 1 million dollars in scholarships and prizes awarded in 2009

Please visit the Washington State Science & Engineering Fair (WSSEF) booth #109 at the

Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO) Convention 2009

Puyallup Fair & Events Center
110 9th Ave SW
Puyallup, WA 98371
Friday, June 19th - 9:00 - 6:00
Saturday, June 20th - 9:00 - 4:00

http://www.washhome school.org/

Admission $15 adults, $5 children

Family 1-day $35, Family 2-day $45

If your child has participated at WSSEF and you would like to volunteer to inspire others to get involved please contact kpbrighton@yahoo.com

Those who can volunteer for at least 4 hours will receive a free vendor admission pass.

Homeschoolers did great at the 2009 Washington State Science and Engineering Fair!

Sixteen homeschool students attended WSSEF this year and competed against a total of 283 students from around Washington State. Nine homeschool students won 1^st place level trophies. Ten homeschoolers collectively won 20 special awards including over $60,000 in college scholarships and $900 in cash.

Although the 16 homeschoolers represented only 6% of the participants, they won 12% of the 1^st place level trophies and 14% of the special awards.

Homeschoolers ranked the highest percentage of wins in the Junior High division compared with schools around the state and we were awarded the traveling Junior High school trophy for 2009! This is the kind of trophy that schools proudly display in glass cases! It will be on display at homeschool conventions and science fair workshops.

Congratulations to the following students for winning 1^st place trophies and/or special awards at the 2009 Washington State Science & Engineering fair:

E. Leung         1^st grade                        K. Leonard      6^th grade

C. Brighton    1^st grade                        P. Hamilton    6^th grade

            C. Davison     2^nd grade                        L. LaRocque   6^th grade

M. Leung       3^rd grade                        M. Haynie       7^th grade

            T. Preece       4^th grade                        D. Brighton     7^th grade

            E. Brighton    4^th grade                        F. Carlson     11^th grade

Please pass this good news on to your local co-ops and homeschool groups! If you would like to receive information on upcoming workshops and science fairs or if you would like to host a “How to Create a Science Fair Project” workshop in your area please send a request to kpbrighton@yahoo.com. You can visit the WSSEF website at WSSEF.org for more information on the state science fair.

P.S. For all you art enthusiasts, there is a contest for a new WSSEF t-shirt design. The deadline is being extended to June 1^st. If you are interested follow the link from the first page of the WSSEF website.

You are invited to the 52^nd Annual

Washington State Science & Engineering Fair

 April 3 & 4, 2009 at Olympic College in Bremerton , WA

Visiting the state science fair is inspiring! Public viewing of the projects will be Saturday, April 4^th. Grades 1-6 will be open noon to 5 p.m. There will be a posting of the first place projects of the lower grades. I recommend that you take advantage of that list. Junior high and High school projects will be open noon – 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

The best way to learn what is expected at state is to volunteer as a judge! Students work very hard on their projects and we would like to have 100 judges on each day to allow the students to present twice for placement and at least once for special judging. To meet this goal we need more judges! As homeschoolers, we know you care about children and understand their language. We would love to have more homeschool parents as judges!

 Anyone who has a desire to promote the advancement of the sciences and science education can be a judge for the 1^st – 5^th grades and anyone with science experience can judge 6^th – 12^th grades. Attached is a judge’s guide. Dinner and lunch are provided! If you are able to help, please e-mail headjudge@wssef.org with your name and judging preferences.

For those who can not make it to the 3 p.m. training session, but would still like to judge, we will have a short training session for special award judging at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. I have only 10 openings for this opportunity to hear some of the children present their projects from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Please contact me at kpbrighton@yahoo.com if you are interested.

You are invited to observe the

Washington Homeschool Science & Engineering Fair

Thursday, February 26^th, 2009  6-9 p.m.

Trinity Baptist Church

18652-116^th Avenue SE, Renton, WA

The purpose of WHSEF is to provide a science fair which is open to all homeschool students and to encourage participation in regional and state science fairs. Over fifty homeschool students are registered this year.

Observing the fair is a great way to get ideas for next year. We ask observers to avoid talking. If you would like to volunteer to interview and evaluate projects, please join us for a short training session at 6:30 p.m. 

Six weeks until the Second Annual

Washington Homeschool Science & Engineering Fair

Thursday, February 26^th, 2009  6-9 p.m.

Trinity Baptist Church

18652-116^th Avenue SE, Renton, WA

(Do not send registration forms to this address)

The purpose of WHSEF is to provide a science fair which is open to all homeschooled students. All participants will receive a medallion at the end of the evening. With the feedback students receive at this fair, they can improve their projects and continue on to regional and state science fairs.

If you didnʼt attend a workshop and do not know what is expected at science fairs, please feel free to come and observe. You will learn even more if you volunteer to listen to presentations. Thirty homeschool students participated last year and twelve went on to state. Six of those students won state trophies.

The fair is only 6 weeks away. If your child still needs help choosing a topic, I recommend the following Selah website: http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JHS/Brown/HowToDoAProject.htm

Please fill out the following registration form and return it by Jan. 31^st, 2009. If your child wants to do a project involving humans or animals, contact me at kpbrighton@yahoo.com as soon as possible. These projects take extra time for approval before beginning experiments.

WHSEF 2009 Registration Form

Student Name__________________________________________

Student Grade__________________________________________

Student Age___________________________________________

Parent Name___________________________________________

E-mail address _________________________________________

Phone Number_________________________________________

Parent or Adult Volunteer________________________________

For participation in this fair each child must have a parent or adult volunteer during the fair to listen to other children present their projects. For families with two or more children participating, two adults are sufficient. Fill out separate forms for each child. A $3 donation per child would be appreciated to cover the cost of the medallions.

Project Title____________________________________________

Scientific Category______________________________________

Animal Sciences, Behavioral & Social Sciences, Biochemistry, Cellular and molecular biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth & Planetary Science, Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical, Engineering (Materials & Bioengineering), Energy & transportation, Environmental Management, Environmental Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Medicine & health sciences, Microbiology, Physics and astronomy, Plant Sciences.

Send Registration Forms by 1/31/09 to:

WHSEF 18512 SE Petrovitsky Rd, Renton, WA 98058

For questions contact: kpbrighton@yahoo.com

Presenting Two

How to Create a Science Fair Project

Workshops

Bothell Parent Workshop 

Tuesday, Nov. 11^th, 2008, 7:15-9:00 p.m.

Park Ridge Community Church

3805 Maltby Road, Bothell, WA 98012

and

Auburn Workshop

(Children welcome if they sit with a parent or use the library.)

Friday, Nov. 14^th, 2008, 10:30 a.m. – Noon

Auburn Library

1102 Auburn Way South, Auburn, WA 98002

Sponsored by the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair

51 years of encouraging science in grades 1 - 12

Over 1 million dollars in scholarships and prizes awarded in 2008

Workshop topics will include:

The Benefits of a science fair project

The Reluctant Science Student

The Scientific Method

How to Create a Science Fair Project

The speaker is Kandis Brighton, a homeschool mother of five. Her children have participated in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) for the last five years. She is now on the WSSEF Board as their Homeschool Liaison. In 2007, her 12-year-old daughter, Rebeka, entered her project into the high school division, where she received a $40,000 university scholarship. Kandis’ 16-year-old son, Jonathan, is a senior at Saint Martin’s University in Mechanical Engineering. The workshop is free. No registration necessary.  

How to Create a Science Fair Project

Parent Workshop

Thursday, Sept. 25^th, 2008, 7-9 p.m.

Trinity Baptist Church, Room 201

18652 – 116^th Ave SE, Renton, WA 98058

Sponsored by the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair

51 years of encouraging science in grades 1 - 12

Over 1 million dollars in scholarships and prizes awarded in 2008

Workshop topics will include:

The Benefits of a science fair project

The Reluctant Science Student

The Scientific Method

How to Create a Science Fair Project

The speaker is Kandis Brighton, a homeschool mother of five. Her children have participated in the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) for the last five years. She is now on the WSSEF Board as their Homeschool Liaison. In 2007, her 12-year-old daughter, Rebeka, entered her project into the high school division, where she received a $40,000 university scholarship. Kandis’ 16-year-old son, Jonathan, is a senior at Saint Martin’s University in Mechanical Engineering. The workshop is free. No registration necessary.  Please contact kpbrighton@yahoo.com if you would like to host a workshop in your area.

Announcing the Second Annual

Washington Homeschool Science & Engineering Fair

February 26^th, 2009