For Communities
Have a fair coming to your community, organization or workplace? This page will guide you through what you can expect and how to prepare your audience. If you don’t have a fair coming to your community, but are interested in having one, please visit our Request a Fair page.
Overview
The best way to see how our education and research fairs work is to look at this 3 minute video introduction. This video was taken at a school event, but it shows the stations and how our events often look.
Planning Overview and Frequently Asked Questions
We tailor each fair to the audience and theme of the event. We can range from very small (tent) to very big (gymnasium). We’ve been indoors and outdoors and have learned a lot over the years about what tends to work best. In this downloadable Fair Planning FAQ document, you’ll find information about:
- How our event works
- Audience (how many we can serve per hour, per day)
- Space needs (facilities, tables and chairs)
- Publicity
- Set-up and break down details
- Computer needs
- Volunteer information
This document is just a starting point. We work with you to plan an event that is customizably yours.
Key Stakeholder and CEO Information
It is absolutely critical that whoever is in charge of your organization is informed about the fair and what to expect. Remember, we’re an education AND research exhibit, which means we collect anonymous data from students. As a result, we want your key community stakeholders and/or administration to be well-informed about what is happening before, during and after your fair. Here are a few briefing sheets for your administrators. These were prepared by an Oregon principal who worked one summer after having the fair at her school.
Fair overview (coming soon) – one page document about what your administrator can expect
Partnerships and Grant Resources – 2 page document on resources for using your school’s data
Using your data
Having a fair is just the first step. You’ll receive summary results based on your community’s data. As you’re planning your event, think about what you want to accomplish with your data. Could you use it for a community presentation, report, needs assessment, grant? We want to support you in these efforts. See our Using the Data page for more information about how you can make the impact of your fair last even longer.
