Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair
- Children & Youth
- Education & Literacy
Location1107 Fair Oaks Ave. # 94South Pasadena, CA 91030 United States
LACSEF’s mission is to expose as many Los Angeles County students as possible to inquiry-based science and design-thinking based engineering that extends beyond the classroom through the development and presentation of science, technology, engineering and/or math (STEM) research. The fair is designed to expose participants and the general community to science and engineering through a science fair competition, hands-on activities and workshops, and an exhibition that is open to the public.
Our primary program is an annual science and engineering fair, which we have conducted since 1950. The multi day event is designed to expose students and the general community to inquiry based science and design thinking engineering that takes them beyond the classroom and provides them the opportunity to interact with experts in their respective fields (judges). In this regard, they learn to describe their research, explain the methodology they used, present their findings, and field questions about their project. Participants receive feedback from the judges on how the procedures, design, testing, and analysis could be improved so they could adjust their methodology and build upon their research for future competitions or the next year’s fair. As a result of this experience, many participants "catch the STEM bug" and continue to expand their science and engineering education and later pursue STEM majors in college.