educators

Woodbridge High School Student Katherine Hua’s AI-Powered Vision Aid Earns Recognition in Regeneron Science Talent Search

In a prestigious acknowledgment of scientific excellence, Katherine Hua, a 17-year-old student from Woodbridge High School, has been named among the top 300 scholars in the 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search. The annual competition, founded in 1942, stands as the nation’s oldest and most esteemed science and math competition for high school seniors. The Regeneron

Ask A Scientist / Engineer

The OCSEF is providing an opportunity for students, grades 6-12, where you can ask questions and get guidance from a scientist or engineer about any aspect of your project.  The program is called  “Ask a Scientist/Engineer.” Register Here These are informal ONE hour events from 4 pm to 5 pm on selected Saturday’s.   OCSEF

An Interview with OCSEF’s Teacher of the Year for 2023: Travis Garwick

Travis Garwick, a STEM teacher at Warner Middle School, recently awarded Teacher of the Year at the 2023 Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF). In an interview with Mr. Garwick, he shared his journey to becoming a teacher, his involvement with OCSEF, and his recommendation for students looking to create a successful project. Mr.

OCSEF Now Recruiting Teachers for the Mentor Match Program

Science and engineering design research CAN be integrated into your NGSS instruction! OCSEF is recruiting veteran and new STEM teachers to support “under-represented” middle and high school students in science or engineering design research, preparing them to participate in the 2023 Orange County Science and Engineering Fair. Teacher will receive an honorarium of $500 for

How to Pick a Science/Engineering Project Topic

In preparations for the 68th Orange County Science and Engineering Fair in March 2023, our team has created a Powerpoint presentation designed to help you how to pick the topic for your next project. The presentation, based on our preparation workshop, will walk you through from starting the process, personalizing your project, brainstorming, bouncing off

OCSEF Celebrates 3 Years of Mentor Match Program

On June 2, 2022, Orange County Science and Engineering Fair, in partnership with UCI CalTeach and Chapman University, celebrated the close of year three of their flagship outreach program, the Mentor Match Program. Students, parents, teachers and guests from Westminster and Santiago High Schools assembled in Beckman Hall on the beautiful Chapman University campus to

Teacher Appreciation Day: Catching Up with Science Teacher Andi Suter

It’s Teacher Appreciation Day! Mrs. Andi Suter M.Ed. from Serrano Intermediate School in Lake Forest is one of the prominent name on students’ OCSEF applications in the last couple of years. We caught up with the 8th Grade STEAM Village Science Teacher, who’s finishing up her 27th year in the district this year. “I found

High School Engineering Challenge: 4 Course Model

Life Science/Biology Engineering Connection: Organ Donation (Chapter 8, p. 1040) Students can learn about the role of engineering to meet critical medical needs to solve another problem in organ donation: matching suitable donors with patients. In addition to striking examples of engineering like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and robotic surgery, some engineers also develop important

High School Engineering Challenge: 3 Course Model

The Living Earth -Integrating Biology and Earth Science Engineering Connection: Wastewater Treatment Facilities  (Chpt. 7,   p. 794) When raw sewage flows into waterways, it can impact the health of both humans and ecosystems (EP&Cs II, IV), which is why wastewater treatment facilities are an important part of all California cities.   Engineers have learned to put

Middle School Engineering Challenges: Discipline Specific by Grade Levels

Jump to: Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 Grade Six Discipline Specific Course Model: Earth and Space Science Engineering Connection: Solar Array Design Chapter 6,   p. 599 This concept has important engineering applications for solar energy California hosts several of the world’s largest arrays of solar panels. When people place solar panels on