OTTAWA, April 14, 2021 – Twenty-one regional science fairs will take place as one virtual fair, April 19 to 21, thanks to a partnership between Youth Science Canada and engineering.com, developers of the ProjectBoard Platform.

“The fairs must go on,” says Reni Barlow, executive director at Youth Science Canada. “This motto has been the driving force behind our efforts this year and I’m happy they’re paying off. By and large, our national STEM fair network has been successful in pivoting to help students continue to explore the world, tackle big problems and express their curiosity and ingenuity through project-based learning.”

Rather than creating a traditional poster or backboard, students post their projects on ProjectBoard, a fun and engaging platform developed by engineering.com in collaboration with Youth Science Canada. The platform allows students to share, discover, collaborate, document and receive feedback and recognition on their STEM projects, all online in a community-based and closely monitored setting.

Students are invited to provide information — why they chose to tackle the question or problem; how they went about answering the question or developing a solution; what they found out or developed; why the project matters or makes a difference; where they plan to take the project from here; plus references and a one-minute video.  Each student project is then reviewed by STEM professionals who also interview the students about their work. Top projects will be selected to participate in the virtual Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF) from May 19-21.

Students from the following 21 YSC-affiliated regions are eligible to register for the YSC Virtual Regional Science Fair:

• Algoma Rotary, Ontario
• Avon Maitland Huron Perth, Ontario
• Canadian Rockies, Alberta
• Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Chignecto West, Nova Scotia
• Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, Nova Scotia
• Durham, Ontario
• East Parry Sound, Ontario
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Island Lake, Manitoba
• Kivalliq, Nunavut
• North Bay, Ontario
• Northern Saskatchewan
• Northwest Saskatchewan
• Omushkego, Ontario
• Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut
• Sahtu, Northwest Territories
• James Assiniboia, Manitoba
• South East Saskatchewan
• South Shore, Nova Scotia
• Windsor, Ontario

Students can register their project at mySTEMspace by clicking “I have a project.” 

About Youth Science Canada
Youth Science Canada fuels the curiosity of Canadian youth through STEM projects. A registered charity incorporated in 1962, YSC delivers on its mission through national programs including mySTEMspace, the National STEM Fair Network, Canada-Wide Science Fair, STEM Expo, “Team Canada” representation at international fairs and Smarter Science professional development for teachers. Through these programs, YSC provides direct support to the more than 500,000 students who do STEM projects in any given year. For more information, visit youthscience.ca.

About engineering.com
Engineering.com is a global online publisher and discussion forum for problem solving, tech news, innovations and resources, with a simple mission to inspire engineering minds to be and do better. The company’s ProjectBoard platform, now powering Makeprojects.com, provides Makers and STEM communities a fun and engaging way to share ideas, develop projects and learn in groups online. For more information, please visit engineering.com.

For more information: 

Samiha Fariha Cell: (647) 268-6687 [email protected]

Kathy Biron Cell: (514) 466-3444 [email protected]