Started in 1962, the Canadian-Wide Science Fair (abbreviated as CWSF) is an annual

science fair A science fair or engineering fair is an event hosted by a school that offers students the opportunity to experience the practices of science and engineering for themselves. In the United States, the Next Generation Science Standards makes ex ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

coordinated by Youth Science Canada. Finalists qualify from approximately 25,000 competitors at over 100 Youth Science Canada-affiliated regional science fairs in every province and territory, or, in the province of

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, the provincial science fair. Competition is split into three age/grade categories: Junior for grades 7 and 8, Intermediate for grades 9 and 10, and Senior for grades 11, 12 and Cégep. The Canada-Wide Science Fair is a weeklong event. Students travel with their respective regional representatives to the designated location (listed below). The Canada-Wide Science Fair has been held every year since 1962. The Canada-Wide Science Fair was presented by

Blackberry BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

from 2012 through 2014.

History

The First Canada-Wide Science Fair was held May 11 and 12, 1962 at the Science Building at

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

in Ottawa. In 1962, the fair was co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa Incorporated. The initial Headquarters for the Canadian Science Fairs Council was 45 Rideau Street, Ottawa. The two-day science fair was made up of 45 exhibits of regional winners from secondary school fairs across the country. The 2020 Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton, Alberta was cancelled due to concerns over the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic: the cancellation was the first time that Youth Science Canada had ever cancelled the fair. Next year saw its return on a virtual basis.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

Several competitors and winners from the Canada-Wide Science Fair have been selected for competition at the

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is an annual science fair in the United States. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Each May, more ...

as part of Team Canada, among them inventors

Ann Makosinski Ann Makosinski is a Canadian inventor and public speaker. She is known for her invention of the thermoelectric flashlight in 2011. Early life and education Makosinski is of Filipino and Polish descent. Makosinski's family lives in Saanich, ...

and Alex Deans. Past Canada-Wide Science Fair winners Raymond Wang and Austin Wang both from

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, BC, won the Gordon E. Moore award at

Intel ISEF The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is an annual science fair in the United States. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Each May, more ...

in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Awards

Almost $1 million in awards and scholarships is given out each year at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Bronze, silver, and gold medals are awarded to outstanding projects in each age/grade category (see above). Challenge awards are presented for the best project in each of seven STEM challenges (discovery, energy, environment, health, information, innovation and resources) for each age/grade category. Sponsored special awards are also offered. Three Grand Awards recognize the top project from the gold medal winners in each age/grade category: The Best Project Award (including $2,500 cash) is presented to the top overall project, regardless of category. The top projects from the two remaining categories receive Platinum Awards, which include $1,000 cash. Two or three of the platinum award winners compete at the

European Union Contest for Young Scientists The European Union (EU) Contest for Young Scientists is a science fair, initiated by the European Commission. It is a part of the European Union Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, and is managed by the Directorate Gen ...

Host Cities

Below is a list of host cities of the Canada Wide Science Fair.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/
Youth Science Canada
Educational organizations based in Ontario Annual fairs Scientific organizations based in Canada Pickering, Ontario Competitions in Canada Science competitions Fairs in Canada Science events in Canada Annual events in Canada 1962 establishments in Canada Recurring events established in 1962