2009 Intel Educator AcademyReno, Nevada

Developing Science and Engineering Fair process:

Costa Rica experience

Nathalie Valencia Chacón Coordinator of Intel Student as

Scientists National Engineering Fair Director

Developing Science and Engineering Fair processes: The Costa Rica experience

Main topics for the presentation:

• Education environment •Education system

• Science Fairs:• Policies • Inter institutional collaboration• Funding• Organization: calendar, categories, committees• Growth• Training

• I National Engineering Fair

Education Environment

Costa Rica• Country Population: ~ 4.3

million; • Territory: 51,100 km2

Kindegarten Primary school High school

Levels two years 1st - 6th grade7th- 11th grade or 7th-

12th

Institutions 24003900 (54% one-room

school)600 HS (+ 550 K-12

schools)Student

population~100 K ~540 K ~300 K

Educators (~60K) ~18 K

• Education System:Organization:

-One National Curriculum:-Mandatory (K-9) and free public education K-12.- 30-40 students / class. -Math & Science introduced from K-6 by elementary regular teacher, general science teachers in 7-9th grades, and specialized science teachers in high school.

Science and Engineering Fairs in Costa Rica: History

1960´s

Science fairs as extracurricular activities: First Creativity and Science Fairs attempts

1970´s

University of Costa Rica (UCR) organizes Science Fairs with university students

1980’s

1987: Fist National Science Fair (NSF) managed by UCR.NSF during this period included mainly private HS students from metropolitan area.(30 -50 schools participated )

1990’s

Law 7169, formal organization of NSF.NSF expanded to Primary School (1998) and other regions of the country (300 schools participate)

1999 NSF affiliated to ISEF. First 3 Regional Fairs (550 schools) / ISEF Student observers

200020 Regional Science and Technology Fairs feed the ISEF affiliated National Science & Technology Fair; (710 schools participate)2002- CR team obtains first Special Award at ISEF

2004

National Decree (# 3900 MEP-MICIT) Institutional science fairs are mandatory and incorporated in National School Calendar (2300 schools participate). Launch Intel SAS teacher training program.ISEF 2004 CR students obtain 3rd place team award.

2006

New regulations for the participation of Kindergarten students A new fair is affiliated to ISEF; (3400 schools and over 50% student population or 600,000 students participate) ISEF 2006 CR students obtain 3rd place team award.

2007Integration of science research in the curriculum (in process)Creating an Engineering Fair ISEF 2007 CR student obtains a Special Award (scholarship)

2008

ISEF 2008. CR team obtain 1 student special award and a team special awardCR SF model is used as a model for the development of the NSF process in Colombia: Feria ExploraLaunch of the 1st National Engineering Fair

Science fairs in Costa Rica: policies

• National Program of Science and Technology Fairs – Law 7169 National Science Fair– National Decree in 2004: creates NSF program– This program involves the participation of

students from preschool, primary and high school from the 23 education regions in Costa Rica

– The overall objective of this program is to promote a science and technology culture, starting with the development of scientific knowledge, as a stimulus to new generations of Costa Ricans, through the demonstration and discussion of research projects designed by students.

Science fairs in Costa Rica: interinstitucional collaboration

National Program of Science & Technology Fairs Commission:– Coordinated by Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT)– Representatives from:

• Ministry of Science and Technology• Public Universities: Universidad de Costa (UCR),

Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC) , Universidad de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

• Ministry of Education (MEP)• National Council for Scientific and Technological Research

(CONICIT) Others ad hoc– as consultants and support

• Government Annual Budget• Ministry of Science & Technology & CONICIT• Ministry of Education – inkind and human resources

• Public Universities- organization and support of RSFs

• Research & Professional organizations: awards

• Private Sector – awards and sponsorships• Community support

• Logistical organization

Science fairs in Costa Rica: funding

• Implementation of the NPSTF takes into account the administrative organization of the Ministry of Education (23 Regional Offices)

Science fairs in Costa Rica : organization

Circuit (District) Science and Technology Fairs

Regional Science and Technology Fairs (23)

National Science and Technology Fair

Institutional Science and Technology Fairs

International Science Fairs Invitations to others: Brazil, Spain, Peru,

South Africa, Argentina

• The National Program of Science and Technology Fairs is part of the National School Calendar

Month Science Fair Process

January -December Teacher training: Intel Students as

Scientists

February- November Teacher orientations/ training

April-October Training for judges

June - July Institutional Science Fairs

August -September Circuital (county) y Regional Science Fairs

October (last week) National Science Fair

Science fairs in Costa Rica: calendar

• Participation Categories:– Scientific experiences for preschool– Monographs ( Grades 1st - 9th grade)– Demonstrations of scientific or technological principles or process

(Grades 1st - 9th grade)– Scientific method research projects (Grades 1st – 12th grade).– Engineering and technology development projects (Grades 1st –

12th grade).

• Research categories: (based on ISEF) – Biology– Environmental sciences– Computer science– Earth and space sciences– Behavioral and social sciences– Physics and mathematical sciences– Engineering and technology– Chemistry– Medicine ands health sciences

Science fairs in Costa Rica: categories

Science fairs in Costa Rica: committees

Committees

SRC

Judging

Awards

Display

TrainingBudget

Special events

Others

Transportation &

Housing

1997 2000-2004 2005-2008

•NSF with 200 K-12 projects from ~50 schools.

•NSF with 200 K-12 projects selected from more than 3,000 schools.

•NSF with 200 projects (students from1st grade to 12th grade selected from more than 3,000 schools.•New Regulation for Preschool

•Direct participation from institutional to NSF. No classification to participate.

•NSF affiliated to ISEF; with standards for 20 Regional Fairs.

•Three ISEF affiliated fairs

•<1% of student population participated.

•50% of student population participating and % increasing.

•UCR supported organization; no government funding for fairs.

•Government and university funding, plus private sector sponsorships increases.

•No press interest; rarely any coverage.

Press communication changed to TV and front page coverage.

Science fairs in Costa Rica: growth

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Science fairs in Costa Rica: growth

1997 2004 2005-2008

•HS student participation from private sector and motivated by academic “grade”.

•K-12 students motivated by teachers, general promotion and student success stories. • Several ISEF finalist winners: 2004, 2006,2008

•One UCR 40 hour professional development opportunity.

•Various options of professional development for teachers (Módulo autoformativo, Intel Students as Scientists, Evalpro, others)

•Judges recruited only from 1 major university.

•Volunteer judges from different universities and private sector.

•Training and manual for judging

• Only on NSF participants • Manual reports on participation at regional SF

•Software for NSF registration, database to track student & judging process

Science fairs extra – curricular for student and teacher

Science fair participation part of the school year calendar.

• Integration of science research into national curriculum

Stu

dent

moti

vati

on

Teach

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train

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Judgin

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Curr

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National Program of Science and Technology Fairs Manuals : constant improvement

Information on the web (spanish):

National Program of Science and Technology Fairs:

http://www.micit.go.cr/programas/feriascientificas.htm

National Science and Technology Fair:

http://feriacientifica.ucr.ac.cr/

Science fairs in Costa Rica : teacher training

National Engineering Fair

• I Pilot on: December 9-11, 2008• Goal:

•To estimulate students' curiosity and interest in the engineering field, through process involving observation, designing and developing prototypes or services, testing, analysis and research.• To provide students opportunities to present their research to specialists and the community

•Target population: High schools students from Technical, Academic and Scientific schools

Interinstitucional collaboration• Coordinated by:

– Ministry of Science and Technology– Ministry of Education (Technical Education Department)– Intel

• Focus: Engineering projects

• Budget– Ministry of Science and Technology– Ministry of Education – inkind and human resources– Private sector

National Engineering fair

The process

Process at Institutional level:3. Students exploration of

possible topics 4. Topic selection 5. Project plan completed and

reviewed by SRC6. Project development

(Research)7. Student preparation for the

fair8. Fair logistics 9. Institutional fair

National Organization committee 1. Action plan development2. Marketing and orientation

for educators about Engineering fair process

National level:10. Pre-registration – SRC 11. Registration 12. National Engineering Fair13. Preparation for ISEF

National Engineering fair:

88

7766

55

4433

2211

99

1212InstitucionalFair

1010 1111 INTEL ISEF

1313

• Guidelines:– Student participation requirements (students

age, grade, number of team members, etc.)– Type of projects– Preregistration and registration requirements– Project set-up and safety regulations– Project presentation (requirements and

recommendations)– Disqualification

National Engineering fair

Science fairs in Costa Rica: growth

School participationNumber of schools that organized

Science and Technology Fairs ( 2000-2005)

7101162

15842015

2308

3019

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Year

Num

ber of

sch

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