Skip to main content
health and nutritional science laboratory

Science and Engineering Fair

Science and Engineering Fair

Demonstrate your knowledge

Where can students explore the world around them with real-life project based learning? At the Eastern South Dakota Science and Engineering Fair, students showcase projects that exhibit not only scientific, but creative, ideas. Within 11 categories, ranging from engineering and behavioral science to environmental science and astronomy, students perform experiments, test theories, record observations and learn more about the scientific process.     

550 students come to the Science and Engineering Fair from 33 counties in South Dakota and Iowa. Counties include: Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Davison, Deuel, Douglas, Gregory, Hamlin, Hanson, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Lyman, McCook, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Sioux (Iowa), Tripp, Turner, Union and Yankton.

Students in grades 6 - 12 compete for more than $7,000 in awards and scholarships from SDSU and community organizations. And, not only do we honor student achievement, but we recognize outstanding teachers through several awards as well.    

The Grand Champions in the Senior Division are able to represent our territory at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held every year in May. At the ISEF, students will compete again, only this time about 1,500 students from all over the United States and more than 70 countries come together to present their discoveries.  

If you are interested in participating in the ESDSEF, first read through the rules and application procedures, and don't forget to check out this year's awards.