The Environmental Challenge is a science fair and career exploration opportunity designed especially for all Syracuse City School District seventh and eighth grade students.

Terra Science and Education organizes the Environmental Challenge for the Syracuse City School District. Terra collaborates with SCSD and volunteer judges as well as with LeMoyne colleges to make this specialized fair a success.

LeMoyne College hosts Environmental Challenge during the third week of May and is hosted by LeMoyne College!

The Environmental Challenge encourages:

  • Student projects that support and extend seventh and eight grade science curricula
  • Student research, scientific inquiry, and critical thinking
  • Students to begin exploring science and science-related careers
  • Students to explore and understand the urban environment and its relationship to the global environment

We would be interested in organizing similar district wide STEM fairs for your district as well.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Richard Beal
[email protected]

Rules
  • Projects should conform to ISEF rules regarding HUMAN SUBJECTS, VERTEBRATE ANIMALS, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BIOLOGICAL AGENTS, and HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, ACTIVITIES or DEVICES.
  • The ISEF forms are not required unless projects fall into non-exempt areas of the categories above. Terra recommends avoiding projects requiring an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Subjects or a Scientific Review Committee (SRC) for Vertebrate Animals, Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents, and Hazardous Chemicals, Activities or Devices.
  • Schools are responsible for all student projects that require IRB and SRC review under ISEF rules. Terra is unable to review or support projects and the IRB/SRC process.
  • Projects that entail combustion of any sort are strongly discouraged. There can be NO demonstrations of combustion/flammability at the Science Fair; it will result in immediate disqualification and confiscation of materials.
  • For more information on rules and regulations, please visit Society for Science and the Public resource page
  • No liquids or food items should be brought along with projects.
  • Judging rubric can be downloaded from here

School Registration
The school registration should be submitted by the school fair admin to provide the numbers of projects from the school for better planning. School registration link for the fair will be provided here.

Student/Project Registration
Project and student registration link for the fair will be provided here.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Richard Beal
[email protected]

Expectations
  • The event is at the LeMoyne College Event Center
  • Students are from the Syracuse City School District and are 7th and 8th graders
  • You will receive an orientation at 8:00 a.m.
  • Light breakfast will be served for judges
  • Judging will go from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Judging is easy and fun!
  • Students will be judged against a rubric and all students will receive either a 1st 2nd or 3rd place ribbon based on judging
  • Please take a look at the judging rubric to prepare yourself for the fair. The judging rubric can be downloaded from here

Judge Registration
Volunteers and Judges are needed. Without the help of over 100 volunteers, this event could not be possible. Anyone can be a judge for the fair, no specialized degree is required to be a judge.

Judge registration link for the fair will be provided here.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Richard Beal
[email protected]