Post-Fair Info

Introduction

The EISEF Awards Ceremony is over; we’ve named our Junior and Senior Champions; and now they, their adult sponsors, and their parents have more work to do: getting ready to go to ISEF in Columbus, Ohio.

EISEF official party

ISEF limits EISEF’s official party to 10 people. Here are the kinds of people who will comprise the party, along with their new titles:

EISEF Senior Champions → ISEF Student Finalists

EISEF will pay for travel, lodging, and ISEF admission for you to exhibit at ISEF. You have less than a week to make sure that all your project paperwork is in order and your exhibit meets ISEF’s rules in every respect.

We will also pay for travel, lodging, and ISEF admission for your Adult Sponsor to chaperone you at ISEF. We give them this free trip as a reward for the good job they did with you so far; also, we expect them to keep doing their job at ISEF. The free trip is only for your Adult Sponsor. We don’t allow you to transfer the free trip to somebody else (such as your parent or another teacher), even if your Adult Sponsor can’t go.

EISEF Junior Champions → ISEF Student Observers

You can choose to attend ISEF, see what goes on there, and become excited about doing a science project next year. EISEF will pay your ISEF admission fee, but your parents will have to pay for your travel, meals, and lodging. You have about a week to let us know if you will be going. Your Adult Sponsor can join you, if they agree to be your chaperone.

Various adults → Chaperones

All the Iowa science fairs (EISEF, SSTFI, and WISEF) now require an adult chaperone to be designated for each student or team project, to keep the finalists and observers focused, safe, and in line. As a chaperone you must:

• Know the students already

• Have authority over them

• Agree to keep their behavior in line at ISEF and while traveling

• Agree to travel with the EISEF official party

Prime candidates as chaperone (in order of our preference):

1. Adult sponsor of a finalist. In fact, we require you to chaperone, in exchange for us paying your trip expenses.

2. Adult sponsor of an observer.

3. A teacher at the student’s school, recommended by the student’s adult sponsor.

4. The student’s parent or guardian.

• Type #1 adults are finalist chaperones.

• Type #2 and #3 adults are teacher chaperones.

• Type #4 adults are other chaperones.

How many chaperones in the official party? how does EISEF try to limit the numbers?

• Max chaperones: 4 (or 5) = the adult sponsors for up to 2 (or 3) finalist projects + 2 for the observer projects.

• Team projects need only 1 chaperone each.

• If you’re the adult sponsor for more than 1 project, then we require you to chaperone them all.

• In the case of projects from the same school with different adult sponsors, A & B: If B can’t go, then we will urge A to chaperone B’s projects.

• If the student can’t go to ISEF, then their adult sponsor can’t go, either — at least in the official party.

• The EISEF Fair Director has final say on each chaperone, to ensure that they are qualified and not overloaded.

For all the chaperones, we will arrange your travel (on the bus/plane next to your student), lodging (in the hotel, near your student), and ISEF admission (so you can enter the ISEF exhibit hall and help your finalists set up their exhibits). Depending on who you are, you will have to pay none, some, or all of your expenses:

• Finalist chaperone: We will pay all your expenses, just like your finalist(s).

• Teacher chaperone: We will pay your ISEF admission fee, but you will have to pay for your travel and lodging.

• Other chaperone: You have to pay for your travel, lodging, and ISEF admission fee.

Everybody not in the official party → Fellow Travelers

You fall in this category if you’re not a finalist, observer, or chaperone, but you want to share this exciting event with your students. So: parents, siblings, other relatives, interested friends, spouses of chaperones, etc. The last two days of ISEF are open to the general public for public visitation and the awards ceremonies. You will definitely want to attend these!

We will give you details of EISEF’s travel plans (flights, hotel accommodations, ISEF admission fees, etc.) so you can arrange to join us.

Note that you will have to arrange (and pay for) all your own travel, lodging, meals, ISEF admission fees, etc.

Timeline of dates from EISEF 2025 to ISEF

COMING SOON FOR 2025: This lists all the major dates on the journey from EISEF to ISEF. Read it carefully: if you miss a deadline, you’ll miss out on going to ISEF!

Travel costs and deadlines

Student Finalists and their Finalist chaperones

EISEF will pay all your expenses: travel, lodging, and ISEF fees.

Student Observers and their Teacher chaperones

EISEF will pay your ISEF admission fee. You (or your parents) must pay us for your travel and lodging.

Estimated cost is $1250 per person.

Teacher chaperones

EISEF will pay your ISEF admission fee. You must pay us for your travel and lodging.

Estimated cost is $1250.

Other chaperones

We will arrange your travel, lodging, and ISEF admission fee. You must pay us for your travel, lodging, and ISEF admission fee.

Estimated cost is $1775 per person.

Travel deposit due

If you have to pay us travel costs (see above) we must receive your full estimated amount by April 15 to reserve your place.

After the trip

We will send you a refund or bill for the difference between what you paid and what the trip actually cost.

Fellow Travelers

You must arrange and pay for your own travel, lodging, meals, and ISEF admission fees.

EISEF’s ISEF ID

EISEF’s fair ID with ISEF is USIA01.