How do I sign up to be a judge?
If you would like to judge at our 2023 CYSF, please email judging@cysf.org with your interest in the in-person and/or virtual fair.
Are there any requirements to be a judge?
If you wish to be a judge at the CYSF, you must:
- Be at least 19 years old or attending a post-secondary institution
- have a love of science
- be available for the first round of judging (April 21 morning). Some judges will also be asked to be available for the second round (April 22 afternoon).
How do I know I've been accepted as a judge?
Space permitting, all people are accepted as judges unless you are contacted otherwise. You should get an e-mail confirming your registration immediately after registering.
What is the difference between elementary and secondary?
Elementary projects are done by students in grades five and six. Most of these students have competed at a school fair and have won their place to attend the Calgary Youth Science Fair. Secondary projects are from students in grades seven to twelve and have projects that are generally more advanced than those in elementary.
This is my first time, what do I need to know and where can I find this information?
We like to recommend you start at the elementary level for at least one year. Elementary projects are generally not as involved as those at the secondary level and don’t require in depth knowledge of a subject. Judges at the secondary level must have adequate knowledge of a subject so that they can ask more complex questions about project results.
Do I have to attend the Judging Seminar?
In the interest of public health, we will not be hosting judging seminars, but we will post webinar videos at a later date closer to the fair. These videos will help judges become more familiar with our fair, the scientific method, 2023 judging procedures and how to communicate with our young scientists. We will thoroughly review the judging process and present examples of past projects’ assessments.
I cannot be a judge this year, but I would like to be contacted in the future?
Please contact us to let us know of your interest in judging for future years and we will add you to our data base.
I would like to judge with my friend, what should I do?
We can’t accommodate requests to judge with your friends or colleagues. When we build the judging teams, we like to put experienced judges with less experienced or new judges. This gives us more consistent results and allows new judges to learn from past experience of the other judges.
How can I find out how the students I judged did?
We’ll be publishing the results online after each round of judging has been completed.
I would like to do more than just judge, where do I get more information on the society?
Check out our Get Involved page.
How many students participate in the fair?
In the past there have been almost 1000 students (over 600 projects) that have participated in the fair each year.
What awards can students win?
Check out our list of Last Year’s Award Winners
My child is in the fair, can I still judge?
You can still judge as there are many students at the fair. We recommend that you sign up for the other level from where your child is participating (e.g. if your child is in elementary, please sign up for secondary). There is a conflict of interest box on the judge’s registration form that you should check if you are in this situation.
How do I get a judging handbook?
The judging handbook is available online here
Who are the sponsors of the CYSFS?
Click here see who our sponsors are.
How does my company become a sponsor?
Click to our Support section for more information.
What if I can't judge for the fair?
Please contact us as soon as possible to let us know you can’t attend the fair. Our teams are made up just prior to the fair so as long as you give us sufficient warning it does not cause any major problems. If you had every intention of coming but for some unforeseen reason have to cancel the morning of fair day you must call the number given to you in prior mailings.
What if the student doesn't respond to questions?
Please reach out to the students directly via the MSG PROJECT button. Students have been instructed to actively monitor this mailbox during the medal round judging period, so any failure to answer should be treated as such.
What if the student's links to resources aren't available (e.g. the video is private)?
Please reach out to the students directly via the MSG PROJECT button. Certain schools may have instructed students to keep these files private until a judge specifically requests access.
Where are my projects? I don't see the left toolbar as described in the webinar video.
If your screen resolution is smaller, the toolbar may be hidden. The button on the top left with three lines should open it back up, and your projects are under CYSF Medal Round.
This was weirdly fun and I am now through all my assigned projects. How can I judge some more?
Please reach out to judging@cysf.org directly and we can add more onto your plate! Much obliged 🙂
How do I preview the projects?
Judging will occur entirely on 21 April, but students’ digital project submissions will be submitted by 31 March, which will allow you to virtually preview students’ projects prior to judging.