Because there is sometimes confusion about entering the OCSEF, we have created this page to explain the various routes to competing in the OCSEF.
Who May Enter the OCSEF:
All 6th – 12th grade students enrolled in a school in Orange County may enter projects in the OCSEF.
- This includes students in public schools, private schools, and homeschooling programs.
- Students must have a sponsor who approves their project and signs the registration form and any applicable certification forms before the project is begun.
- If students are enrolled in a school in a district that holds a district-wide science fair, they must be selected to enter the OCSEF only through that fair.
- If students are enrolled in a school that holds a school science fair, they must be selected to enter the OCSEF only through that fair.
- If students are enrolled in a school or homeschool program that does not hold a science fair or in a district that does not hold a district-wide science fair, they may enter the OCSEF through the sponsorship of a teacher, a school administrator, or through mentorship by an OCSEF Board member.
- Students attending schools NOT in Orange County are not eligible to compete in the OCSEF.
What projects may be entered in the OCSEF:
- Projects may be disqualified from entering the OCSEF if they do not meet the project and exhibit rules and regulations; therefore, it is very important to read the regulations carefully before selecting a project and beginning work.
- Projects may be done by an individual student or by a team of no more than 3 students (see rule #3 for details)
Rules to consider and follow before starting your project:
- Projects must involve an experimentally-based research design; the exhibit must include a log-book or notebook of the students’ work on the project.
- Projects must follow all county, state, and federal regulations regarding wiring, toxicity, fire hazard, and general safety (see rule #17 for details)
- Project work done with human subjects, vertebrate animals, tissue samples, or involving hazardous materials must have completed certification forms before project work is begun.
- Project work done within an ongoing professional research study must be accompanied by a letter from the research director indicating the student’s role in that research (see rule # 7 for details)
