NEW ORLEANS – Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair (GNOSEF) is hosting a free teacher workshop on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at Tulane University’s Lindy Boggs Engineering Building, Room 104, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., as a way to offer information and resources to assist teachers with implementing science and engineering fair projects both at the classroom and school level.
The workshop also helps them prepare for the 60th Annual Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair to be held February 23-25, 2016 at UNO.
Attendees will be awarded a certificate at the conclusion of the five-hour training, which can be submitted to their school district for the purpose of requesting CLU (Continuing Learning Unit) credits.
Hosted by the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair, Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Core Element, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, the free, five-hour workshop, which includes lunch, will cover such topics as:
• Science Fair: Classroom Level – for teachers newly embarking on the Science Project journey who want to learn more about finding ideas, resources available (including grants!) and timelines.
• Science Fair: School Level – Moving Beyond the Classroom – includes not only planning, but also overcoming obstacles and updates regarding ISEF rules recommended for all projects, but REQUIRED for projects that wish to advance.
• Lunch with working group sessions – opportunity to share with other teachers and go deeper into various topics of discussion such as Finding Good Project Ideas, Running Your Own Science Fair, Understanding the ISEF Rules and Documents.
• Regional Fair and Beyond – benefits and logistics of participation in the Regional Fair including information about the over $60,000 in cash awards, prizes, scholarships and trips offered to winners.
• Optional “After- session” – for individual assistance for those who wish to affiliate on-site and learn more about uploading documents for the Regional Fair.
“This workshop is our way of assisting educators with information and resources supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) curricula, in general, and science fairs, specifically,” said Annette Oertling, Ph. D., fair director of the non-profit Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair. “This area is important to a child’s overall education, their future career goals and the economic growth of our community. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, Louisiana will have 69,000 STEM-related jobs to fill by 2018, so it is vitally important that we provide the support needed to teach the future generation of STEM employees.”
The Greater New Orleans Science & Engineering Fair encourages independent student research in science, technology, engineering and math. The Fair is open to students nominated by their middle or high school or home school association within the designated Region IX parishes (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines). Entrants fall into two divisions: Junior Division is comprised of middle school students (6-8 grade) and Senior Division is high school students (9-12 grade).
More than $60,000 in cash/ non-cash awards, prizes and grants will be awarded to GNOSEF 2015-2016 winners/ teachers and schools, including a trip for 4 students and 2 teachers to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which draws over 1600 students from 70 countries with more than $4 million in cash awards and prizes. Selected category winners at the GNOSEF in New Orleans are also eligible to compete for state honors at the Louisiana Science and Engineering Fair (LSEF) held at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, March 21-23, 2016, also with advancement possibility to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held May 8-13, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ.
The non-profit Greater New Orleans Science Fair, Inc. is supported by local industries, foundations and individuals, including major donors H. Britton Sanderford, Jr. and the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
