everything student participants need to know about 2021
TRANSCRIPT
Everything Student Participants Need To KnowAbout 2021 Virtual MN State Science &Engineering Fair
● GETTING REGISTERED - All participants will need to be registered in the zFairs platform.
○ Promoted from regional fair - Since you are promoted from a regional fair that uses zfairs you will receive a welcome email saying that you have been promoted. You can log in HERE (same login info you used with your regional fair), and you will be prompted to add some information about yourself. This account already has your video and all your paperwork you submitted to regionals
○ Your TCRSF user name and password is the same for mnmas.zfairs.com as soon as you receive your welcome email
Note:- If you are using a school email account this may affect your ability to receive emails from
zFairs. Many of our middle schooler's school emails bounce back due to school rules.- All members of a team must be registered and paid for a project to be eligible to compete.
When you are registering for zFairs you will have the option to link to another project. Youcan use this to link your group project to your teammate(s) registration.
● REGISTRATION FEES - Registration fees can be paid HERE. All registration fees includefull access to virtual workshops and presentations. These fees must be paid by 3/18/2021.The fees are as described below
○ Student presenter / individual project: $100○ Pairs: Pay $62.50 per student ($125 total)○ Trios: Pay $50 per student ($150 to
● MSSEF REGISTRATION DEADLINE with TCRSF: Decide by Wednesday, March 3
if you will or will not compete at state science fair. If you cannot attend state, please email [email protected] with your name and project number and that you will not be competing OR call 763-577-1400 with the same information. If you cannot attend state, we need to be able to fill your spot with the next available alternate. If you need a scholarship, state has some scholarships available for free and reduced price lunch students. Please contact [email protected] or call 763-577-1400 with your information and request.
● Data transfer from TCRSF to MSSEF - Some time Monday afternoon, TCRSF will upload all your TCRSF zFairs information to the MSSEF zFairs site, and send a notifying email. At that point your TCRSF login and password will be valid on the MSSEF site. The components that are common between TCRSF and MSSEF will be transferred, including your SRC paperwork, 10 minute video, etc. Items not supported by MSSEF may not transfer, including your 2 minute video and potentially the quad chart. It is your responsibility to log into your MSSEF zFairs account at that point and verify all your submissions, upload anything new or different, and manage your account. If this cannot be done by March 8th, please contact the program director Sara Gomez at [email protected] or 612-643-0627 and state your reason for extension. If you have not submitted a presentation video and you have not contacted the director, your registration will be deleted and you will not be permitted to participate.
● MSSEF VIDEO PRESENTATION DETAILS - To compete, students must submit a URL for their video presentation that the judges will review and score before the Q&A window listed in the schedule. You can view video presentation guidelines HERE.
● TIPS FOR TEAM PRESENTATIONS - We realize that virtual presentations combined with the enduring threat of COVID-19 poses a challenge for team research and presentations. We encourage all students to take the proper precautions when working in teams. If you are presenting as a team, please create only one slideshow and assign team members slides to narrate. Once all narrations are completed one student can compile the narrated slides and convert the ppt to a video file. If you have any questions or concerns about your alternatives, contact your Regional Science Fair Director or email MAS Assistant Director Ally Milenkovic at [email protected].
● MSSEF EVENT SCHEDULE -○ Registration Fees Due - All project registration fees must be paid by 3/18/2021○ Project Judging - Judges will begin reviewing projects on 3/26/2021 starting at 8:00
am. Judges’ final scores will be submitted on 3/28/2021 at 7:00 pm○ Judge & Participant Q&A - Judges will be able to meet with students 3/28/2021 from
12:30 pm to 4:00 pm○ Public Viewing - 3/29/21 5:30pm to 8:30pm (you will receive more information about
this in an email)○ Awards Announcement & Ceremony - The awards ceremony for NCR JSHS and MN
State Sci Fair will be combined and will be hosted virtually on Zoom on 3/30/2021 at 6:30 pm
● INFORMATION ABOUT Q&A - The Q&A between judges and students will be through the zFairs platform. Please be signed into zFairs and in the zFairs web conferencing tool(instructions below) on 3/28/2021 from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm. Judges will come in and out of your interview “room”. You will see which judges come in and when, so you should call on judges to interview you based on the order they enter your “room”. Please do not exceed 10 minutes with each judge (judges will be given these instructions as well). During periods of low activity, still be ready with your computer near you in case judges arrive to interview you.
Students will log into their zFairs accountwhich will default to the main page.
You will go near the top of your screen andclick on “Virtual Contest”.
You will then see a screen that will give youtips about using the web conferencing
component of zFairs. Please review thesetips.
After you close the tips window you will clickon the “Enter Virtual Judging/Interview”
button.
Once you enter virtual judging/interview youwill be brought to the video conferencing tool
in zFairs. If you are part of a team, yourteammate should be present in the room withyou. If not, you can invite them into the room.
Notes:● Safari & Chrome are the best browsers to use when working in zFairs● Zoom cannot be in use/open when trying using the web conferencing tool in zFairs● Judges will call you by phone if they are not available in the room or if there are
difficulties with using the video conferencing tool. Please make sure your number iscorrect and you have your phone available during Q&A times.
● PUBLIC VIEWING/SHOWCASE -○ Student Showcase - All registered participants will have the ability to look through the
projects presenting at state by logging into zFairs, going to “Fair” at the top of yourmainpage, and selecting “Showcase” as shown below. We will also have a way forstudents to interact with each other and that information will be emailed out to youduring the fair.
○ Public Viewing - During the fair we will email all participants a web address andpassword that they can use to invite their friends and family for the scheduled publicviewing on 3/29/21 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
● WORKSHOPS - Workshops and other events will be posted on our website HERE and onthe students’ homepage in zFairs, and reminders of these events will be emailed out to you.These will be held virtually on Zoom.
● IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS - Important announcements will be emailed out to youand will be posted on the students’ page in zFairs.
● PROBLEMS - If you are experiencing any difficulties in participating in the MN State ScienceFair we want to try and support you in participating. If you are having issues with the internet,need a scholarship (you can indicate this during registration), have questions about thecompetition, etc. please contact Sara Gomez, Program Director at [email protected] or612-643-0627.
● CONTACTS -○ For questions about the the event, contact Program Director Sara Gomez at
[email protected]○ For questions about SRC or volunteering, contact Asst Director Ally Milenkovic at
[email protected]○ For questions about registration fee payment, contact Office Admin Kris Zierman at