62nd ANNUAL TIDEWATER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR

Fair Date – Saturday, March 16, 2013

OldDominionUniversity, WebbCenter

John Wittmann, Co-Director 757-635-5195

Dell Young, Co-Director 757-460-2863 2505 Indian Hill Road, Va. Beach, Va. 23455-1515

Greetings, Designated Contact People, Aug., 2012

Welcome back to another great year of teaching science. We will begin by introducing our new co-director, Dr. John Wittmann, who is living in Va. Beach. He comes to us with experiences in robotics competitions and in high school administration. He will be working with Dell Young this year to learn the ropes for the TSEF.

Let’s start with some results from our winners of last year.

Andrew Luo of Yorktown High took a first in Computer Sciences at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair and a third at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburg last May. Radha Venkatesan of Grafton High also represented TSEF at ISEF. One of our junior winners, Robin Bai of Tabb Middle School in York County was chosen as a semi-finalist for the national program of Broadcom MASTERS. TSEF also had 7 other senior students to receive categoryawards at VSSEF. We are hoping, with your help, to continue this excellent track record.

  1. We added a cover sheet to the application form this year. We hope this helps you in determining your own timeline and application procedures. DO NOT return the cover sheet as part of the application.
  2. We also added a place for students to tell us their t-shirt sizes. This will help us to more effectively order them.

There are a number of required forms for the application.

Where appropriate, these are the official forms of the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair and the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). To access these, go to the TSEF’s website (sponsored by ODU)

(or conduct an internet search for “Tidewater Science Fair”);

and for the official ISEF forms, go to and look under DOCUMENTS.

The updated forms are now available along with safety and display information.

The ISEF’s forms and websites can also be accessed by using links through the TSEF’s website.

NOTE: These have all been updated so please use the new forms.

There is even a Power Point and a “Wizard” toolfrom the ISEF that might help you with the forms.

Use these great resources in determining the correct necessary forms.

Continued Updates:

  • Risk Assessment Form (3) page 37 from ISEF

The major change to the TSEF application is the requirement for all projects to have this form. Please review the procedure carefully, especially if heat or glass is used. By requiring this last year, we were able to accept applications in a more timely fashion. If you have a project that does not seem to need this form (ex. a survey), write NA in the 5 required areas and have the Adult Sponsor complete and sign the boxed area. EVERY project must include this completed form.

  • Human Participants Form (page 37) with example of Informed Consent Form (page 38) from ISEF

As usual, you may develop your own consent form. The set of signed forms are to remain in a secure place within your school. Requests for these might occur at a later time. Only send in one blank form.

PLEASE check dates and signatures on all forms. For example, most dates are when the project is approved (not completed). Incomplete or incorrect forms will lead to a project not being accepted.

Important Dates for the Designated Contact Person for 2013:

  • Monday, Jan. 21 – Student Database entered on the TSEF’s website - You will (by mid-December) receive an email with instructions. You will be able to login at the TSEF’s website and enter the student data at that time. Please use this year’s updated student database template. (Will be at the TSEF website by mid-Nov.)
  • Wed., Jan. 23 – completed student applications should be dropped off in person

at New Horizons (Hampton) from 8 to noon

OR at the Advanced Technology Center (Va. Beach) from 2:30 to 5

  1. Hard (printed) copy of the Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair Student Database

Please use this as a cover sheet for the set of applications.

  1. Student Applications (2 copies)

PLEASE CHECK dates and signatures carefully.

  1. List of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and, if you needed one, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) members

NOTE: The TSC, Inc. will not be responsible for any part(s) of the required submission materials not received by the deadlines.

  • Saturday, March 16 - the Tidewater Science Fair (TSEF) will be held at Old Dominion University
  • Friday and Saturday, April5-6– Va. State Science and Engineering Fair at VMI in Lexington, VA

Since the established dates are tight, you need to get started quickly with your interested students.

Just a few observations from last year’s event

  1. Please help your students choose the correct category. Several judges felt that projects were misplaced. If something is made, think ENGINEERING. Some categories are more popular than others. Look at the TSEF’s website for a list of last year’s projects. We will enter the student in the category listed on your datasheet, not on the application.
  2. Please type the student data correctly. The titles, categories, students’ names, etc. will be printed in the program and on all certificates the way the data appears on the Student Database (due Monday, Jan. 21, 2013) that the designated contacts send to us. We do not have time to send you information, asking for clarification. Most of the complaints we receive are from parents and teachers about misspellings. We print what you send us.

We will be updating the TSEF website (ODU – science fair) periodically. By mid-September, you will find:

Photos and results from 2012

Students and projects from 2012

Student Application for 2013

This letter (under the side menu for CONTACTS)

Links to the websites for TSEF and ISEF

Solicitation letter

and other resources

Please take any opportunities to hand out copies of our solicitation letter since we are totally dependent upon donations from the community. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Thank you for your continued support of the Tidewater Science Fair.

If you are not serving as your school’s designated contact, please pass this to the current contact.

John Wittmann, Co-Director 757-635-5195

Dell Young, Co-Director 757-460-2863 2505 Indian Hill Road, Va. Beach, Va. 23455-1515

Tidewater Science and Engineering website:

International Science and Engineering Fair website:

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