Importance of Judges in Student STEM Exhibitions and Fairs

Judges provide essential and important roles at STEM Exhibitions. Judges give students valuable experience in communicating the purpose, process, and results of their project in a structured way. This experience helps students build the communication skills they will use in their formal education and future careers. 

Judges with knowledge or experience in STEM listen to the student present a summary of their project, and ask the students questions, giving constructive feedback on the project’s strengths and areas for improvement. This feedback gives students the information they need to improve future projects. 

Judges evaluate the quality of student STEM projects using established metrics. The evaluations of multiple judges determine whether a student project continues to the CPS regional and Citywide STEM Fairs, and the Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences (IJAS) and Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) competitions.

By listening to student presentations and asking questions, judges communicate a thoughtful and genuine interest in the projects they evaluate, conveying to the student the value of their effort and the results they have achieved.  

Who Can be a Judge

Any person who is confident of their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, or math,  whether through experience, formal education, or occupation, can volunteer to be a judge. Prospective judges can volunteer at the school, regional, or citywide levels. Judges can choose the student grade level (6-12) and the STEM area they are qualified to judge. Judges at the citywide level can choose to judge student Essays, Symposium Presentations, or Projects.

STEM Fair Project categories are listed here.

Information about the Citywide Symposium and Citywide Essay Competition is given here.