PPRSF Judging Information

The judging manual for 2008 is online. Click for the PDF. The competitor booklet for 2008 is online. Click for the PDF.

Click here if you've never registered before and are ready to register now. 2008 Location: UCCS Science Building & Student Center (map). 2008 Date: March 1, 2008 (one week earlier than usual) . All judges should plan to stay until about 3:15 pm. Veteran judges need their special URL for registration. Email Rob at kolstad@ace.delos.com if you don't have yours. The URL will be available in January or so. We hope you will consider judging for the PPRSF. It's great fun; you'll appreciate youth (especially your own); you'll make a difference in several youngster's careers. The "Special Awards Judges" - who, at our fair, are different sets of judges from the "Category Judges" - should be registered separately with David Wagner via email or telephone (h: 597-9479). The Regional Science Fair is not the same fair as various local and elementary Science Fairs - check for conflicts with other judging obligations by comparing the events' dates. Listed below are some of the highlights of this year's fair. Location The 2007-2008 Fair will return to the complex at UCCS (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs) (map). Our reduced participation should enable everyone to fit in the gymnasium; all judges will fit nicely into the Science Auditorium with its excellent acoustics and privacy. Lunch is still an open issue :) . Schedule Registration begins at 7:15 a.m., Saturday, March 1, 2008 at UCCS. Follow the signs; it's almost impossible to get lost. Coffee and doughnuts will be served at 7:15. An in-depth orientation begins promptly at 7:37 a.m. Judging finishes around 3:15 or so (maybe earlier in 2008 -- stay tuned). A no-host (so far) lunch is available in the student cafeteria. 7:15 a.m.-7:37 a.m. Judges' Registration (in JUDGES' HQ) 7:37 a.m.-8:55 a.m. Judges' Orientation (in JUDGES' HQ) 7:45 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Entrants set up projects 9:00 a.m.-9:20 a.m. Project Viewing 9:20 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Pick up Judging Assignments 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. First round of judging 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Relaxed lunch for all judges 1:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Final rounds of judging 3:15 p.m. Judges dismissed 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Public exhibition of projects 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Awards presentation ceremony Senior and Junior Judging The ideas below are mostly correct. The head judge is going to try to assemble category-judging teams to smooth the operations described here. After a 20 minute project-viewing period, judges will interview all exhibitors. A complete, personalized schedule will be supplied to each judge at around 9:25. Unlike in the past, this year's judges will work as individuals. Each judge will interview 5 or 6 projects in the initial judging period. Each project will be seen by numerous judges -- your score will be averaged with others. Some projects are `group' projects and include two or three students instead of just one. Each judge's schedule will be augmented by 5 projects for the afternoon's judging. The procedure will repeat itself as the division and overall winners are refined. Conflict of Interest Avoidance The new millenium brings with it increased sensitivity to conflict of interest. To avoid even the appearance of any kind of conflict, judges will be asked to report any personal conflict of interest and ask for reassignment (e.g., judging their own child's or neighbor's project). Teachers are asked to judge `down' one division (i.e., high school teachers judge junior high school projects) or work in the back office. Dress Code Please wear clothes that are at least as formal as "business casual". Please avoid blue jeans and non-button shirts. Dress military uniforms are always in style though not required. Registration If you have not judged before, please register. If you have judged in the last two years, you have a record in our database. You should already have received e-mail about your ID number and the URL to use to access your record. Call Rob Kolstad at 719-481-6542 or email him at <kolstad@ace.delos.com> if you need assistance getting to your web registration form (but not until January!). On the information form, we need to know which areas you enjoy judging most. We need your phone numbers and addresses so we can find and track you as you move and even change jobs.