Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair, Inc. (MSSEF)

CONTACT:

955 Massachusetts Avenue, #350
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-491-1500
www.scifair.com

Cora Beth Abel, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

2009 will be the 60th anniversary of MSSEF, founded in 1949 by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and few spirited science educators, to provide opportunities for middle school and high school students from diverse backgrounds to experience the joys and challenges of “real-world” scientific research and engineering invention through mentored, “inquiry-based” learning. Over 26,000 students, over half of them girls, have participated in Massachusetts statewide fairs hosted at MIT, 40% from schools in high-needs districts. In 2007, the MSSEF fairs showcased the work of 650 outstanding young scientists and engineers, and provided over $430,000 in college scholarships and prizes to more than 40% of the contestants. Two annual Patent Awards pay for all legal expenses for students to patent their projects, in which the success rate is 100%. Massachusetts also sends 15-20 of its most accomplished and promising students to the International Science & Engineering Fair, to compete with 1,500 participants from 51 countries. Last year MSSEF students won several prizes, including the prestigious “best in category” prize in biology. Is it any wonder that the program is growing—in the last four years, qualified students rose 59% in the middle school, and 32% in the high school, science fairs?

(2008: CULTURE: Education: Formal: School-related)