UAH to host North Alabama Regional Science, Engineering Fair on March 6; teacher, student deadlines extended

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and its College of Engineering will host the 70th annual North Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NARSEF) on March 6 on the UAH campus. Due to weather-related school closures, deadlines have been extended to Sunday, Jan. 28, for teacher registration and Sunday, Feb. 4, for student project submissions.

“Science fairs offer numerous benefits to students and educators, including creativity and hands-on learning, building critical thinking skills, and classroom opportunities to bridge the gap between knowledge and real world applications,” says Dr. Jennifer English, associate dean of engineering at UAH, a part of the University of Alabama System.

NARSEF is dedicated to promoting scientific exploration in today’s youth, say event organizers. The independent research performed to create a science project stimulates interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These disciplines have been recognized as crucial knowledge attributes for the next generation.

Students in grades 5-12 have the opportunity to use the scientific method or the engineering design process to conduct experiments and analyze results and then present their projects to science and engineering professionals in the Huntsville community. Students will compete with their peers for awards and scholarships as well as spots in the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair (ASEF) and the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

NARSEF is open to students in the North Alabama region, including these counties: Colbert, Cullman, Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall and Morgan.

NARSEF depends on the local community to participate as fair judges, English says. Find out more about judging, and register to be a judge on the NARSEF webpage.

A local teacher who has participated in NARSEF – Scott Smith, who teaches seventh-grade science and green architecture at Discovery Middle School in Madison – calls the fair a launch pad for creative and innovative students.

“These science fairs provide students the outlet and opportunities to get involved in the scientific community and be rewarded for their research,” he says.

Discovery Middle School student Nikita Prabhakar was one of the 2023 NARSEF winners. She went on to become a top 30 finalist for the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge, a national middle school STEM competition.

Questions about NARSEF may be directed to narsef@uah.edu.