The Paper Session will be Saturday, March 9th, 2024 at North Central College, Naperville, IL. Below you will find a schedule of events once we have it updated for this year, as well as a Judge Sign Up sheet for the State Fair. The IJAS Paper Session will be held on Friday, May 3, 2024 at Millikin University, Decatur, IL.

If you are interested in being a judge and have not been registered through a school or club, please just come on Saturday, March 9th and check in at the judges check-in located in the Wentz Science Center. 

The files at the bottom of this page contain information for the day of the fair.  Click on the upper right hand corner of any document to open it in a new tab.

The information below is for the Regional fair however, most still applies to the State Fair, as well. 

• You will receive the students' papers in advance. Please make sure to read the papers before arriving at the fair.​

• ​You may be assigned to judge a student that you already know. If you are uncomfortable with judging this student, please contact one of the coordinators. In an ideal situation at the regional level, you should avoid judging anyone with whom you have a personal association. 

• The judging rubric is divided into four sections. Please review the following information before the regional competition to better understand the IJAS science fair rubric.

  • Scientific or Design Method

    • IJAS strives to develop skills involving the scientific and design methods, making this part of the rubric important.

    • Check to see if the students have correctly demonstrated the scientific method. They should have variables and constants.

    • In a design method, the students should have clearly identified a problem and developed a plan or original design and have redesigned and retested this design.

    • Estimating experimental error can be mentioned in experimental projects. It is not required with design projects.

  • Display

    • Students should have a laptop to display their information or other visual aids not larger than 8.5 by 11". 

    • It is optional to bring a tablet or iPad.

    • Visual display can be in the form of a flip book or handouts. Students cannot use anything larger than 8 1/2" by 11".

    • Students are not allowed to bring any materials or equipment they have used throughout the experiment. Please do not penalize the student for not displaying their materials.

  • Oral Presentation

    • Students may use note cards.

    • They will present a summary of their background research in which they will demonstrate their knowledge on their subject.

    • Please allow the students to finish their entire presentation before asking questions.

    • Please note the age of the presenter and ask questions appropriately.

  • Written Report

    • Citations should be in APA format. Charts, tables, and graphs do not have to be in this format.

    • The part of the project should be scored individually prior to attending the competition.  You may consult your team before writing down a final score.

    • The comment sheet should go to the student. The score sheet should be handed to a runner.

• Students may arrive with an Addendum containing further experimental research conducted after the paper was submitted.

• Before they present, please ask the student to write their initials on the rubric and comment sheet to ensure that no error is made.

• If you believe that there is an error in the presentation, please consult judging chair.

  • Do you believe that the project in the wrong category? - Contact the judging chair.

  • Do you believe that there is a safety issue? - Contact the judging chair.

  • Do you believe that the project is in the wrong process category (experimental vs. design)? - Contact the judging chair.