Orange County Science & Engineering Fair

03/26/2026

Big News! OCSEF is excited to announce that we are planning an in-person fair for March 2027! But we need your help to make it happen.

Please consider donating to OCSEF. As a volunteer run non-profit organization for 71 years, we rely completely on sponsors and donations to provide the Orange County regional science fair. All funds go directly into supporting the fair and promoting STEM to students in Orange County. All contributions are tax deductible. Visit https://ocsef.org/campaign today!

10/10/2025

✨Use the Pre-Approval Flowchart (http://bit.ly/4lToat9) to see if your project requires pre-approval and to access the UPDATED Certification Forms.

10/10/2025

‼️NEW Early Pre-Approval Registration Deadline – November 3rd!

✨Early Registration is now REQUIRED for projects that include human subjects, vertebrate animals, or potential hazards. Students must receive SRC Pre-Approval BEFORE starting these types of projects.

10/09/2025

✨Registration is now open for the 71st annual Orange County Science & Engineering Fair!

Don’t wait to complete your 2026 OCSEF online application to register your project. Visit https://ocsef.smapply.io to start your application.

‼️Note: some projects require Pre-Approval and Early Registration by November 3, 2025.

10/09/2025

Congratulations Kenton, Quan, and Jason, Broadcom Coding with Commitment® winners at Orange County Science and Engineering Fair! Orange County Science & Engineering Fair Warner Wildcats

Broadcom Coding with Commitment® recognizes students in middle school who combine STEM learning with coding to solve a community problem they care about in their neighborhood, region, or on Planet Earth that aligns with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Their project “Computer Control through Eye Tracking and Voice Recognition” uses the operator’s eyes and voice to execute common but vital computer tasks. The system provides a level of accuracy that allows for individuals with motor difficulties to navigate the web in basic ways with the accuracy of the eye tracking being 83% and 73%, enough for the cursor to be in the general vicinity wanted and the voice recognition being reliable enough for other tasks not accessible with just eye tracking. Their project aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #10 Reduced Inequalities.

The students are passionate about their project because they wanted to help their grandparents and other family members, who suffer motor disabilities like arthritis, use the computer without any problems.

Broadcom Coding with Commitment® provides a catalyst for students to learn basic coding and AI as essential problem-solving tools in STEM and fosters active civic engagement by “thinking globally while acting locally.”

Learn more here: https://broadcomfoundation.org/programs/broadcom-coding-with-commitment/

06/11/2025

12/16/2024

Register TODAY for the 70th annual Orange County Science & Engineering Fair! Don’t wait to complete your online application to register your project (ocsef.smapply.io) – the first step to participate in 2025 OCSEF.

Some projects require preapproval so be sure to register NOW. Find more details on our website (ocsef.org).

09/30/2024

Interested in Science Fair? Don't know how to get started? Join OCSEF for our Academy 101 virtual workshop this October. There will be a series of four 1 hour Saturday sessions. During this introductory course students (grades 6-12) will learn how to conduct a science or engineering fair project. Students must register to attend.

Sign up for Academy 101 using this link: https://bit.ly/3ZsrPpW

06/27/2024

Anton, a 9th grader, developed a fascination with bee research and led to the creation of the “16-and-Bee” project - which got him the 1st place award at OCSEF 2024 (category: Zoology).

Check out his project, which is about analyzing the genetic makeup of feral and managed bee colonies in Orange County: https://ocsef.org/16-and-bee/

06/25/2024

"Congratulations to Prasanthi Sathyaprakash who brings her passion for engineering and creating equity in STEM to the children of Orange County.” Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation.

Prasanthi Sathyaprakash has been selected as the 2024 Outstanding Community Advocate in STEM Education by the OC STEM Initiative in partnership with Cox Communications! This award is given to educators and practitioners working in community-based organizations, programs and/or initiatives that focus on increasing access to STEM education and broadening participation of underrepresented and/or marginalized groups.

OC STEM Initiative Orange County Science & Engineering Fair Girl Scouts of Orange County

06/23/2024

Data Science Central has published an interview with Wes Kriesel and Kunal Dalal from the Orange County Department of Education - two visionaries are at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into the educational landscape, driving innovative changes across nearly 30 districts in Orange County: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/orange-county-department-of-education-has-the-ai-juice/

Explore how AI is revolutionizing education in Episode 10 of the AI Think Tank Podcast. Join host Dan Wilson with guests Wes Kriesel and Kunal Dalal from Orange County Department of Education as they discuss AI's transformative impact, overcoming challenges, and fostering student leadership. Special...