Press Release - November 10, 2009
Our Science Fair Launches Free Science Fair Website Service To Increase Student Participation
New ‘science fair 2.0’ service makes it easy for students to register, reduces use of paper to
meet “green school” goals and offers parent teacher organizations a new fundraising tool
Sammamish, Washington – November 10, 2009 – Our Science Fair announced today the launch of a free
science fair website service designed to increase student participation in science fairs at elementary,
middle and high schools across the country. The new service, available at http://oursciencefair.com,
makes it more convenient for students to register and participate in a school science fair, while
reducing the effort required by science fair coordinators to plan and organize an event.
Science fair coordinators use the Our Science Fair service to quickly and easily set up a customizable
website. The service helps meet “green school” goals by eliminating most paper forms traditionally used
to run a science fair program:
- Information: Replace science fair flyers with a customizable informational home page, complete with
school logo or image
- Registration: Replace paper application forms with a customizable online registration tool.
- Preparation: Replace supply order forms with an online store for project display boards and other
supplies.
- Communication: Replace participant updates and reminders with a one-click email directly from the
website.
“Finally the science fair community has a no cost, easy to use tool that will make paperless
communications a reality,” said Tina Yerges, PTSA president at Cascade Ridge Elementary in Sammamish, Washington.
“Our Science Fair has thought of everything we will need to make it easy for students to register
and prepare for our spring science fair,” said Janet Chenoweth, science teacher at Walsh Elementary
School in Walsh, Colorado. “Setting up our website was so easy and we can’t wait to see the video Our
Science Fair produces from the photos our parents and students upload to the website as they prepare
for the event.”
Our Science Fair gives parent teacher organizations, such as PTAs, PTOs and PTSAs, a new, no effort
fundraising tool by allowing them to benefit from the sale of supplies purchased through their science
fair website. Parents can expect to pay less for supplies purchased through an Our Science Fair website
than they would at most retail stores.
“When I volunteered to be the science fair coordinator for my daughter’s school, I was astounded to
find that 600 paper registration forms had to be manually entered into a spreadsheet. I knew there
was a better way,” said Rajeev Goel, founder and president of Our Science Fair. “I set out to create
a tool that would make science fairs fun and convenient for everyone involved. Our Science Fair makes
‘science fair 2.0’ a reality and is just one small step towards reigniting student interest in science.”
According to results reported in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study released in
late 2008, average science performance in the United States has essentially been the same for more than
a decade while other countries demonstrate steady increases in performance.
About Our Science Fair
Our Science Fair is the brainchild of Rajeev Goel, a former Microsoft software engineer with an
entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for improving science education in the K-12 school system.
Our Science Fair is a free online service that enables science fair coordinators to set up and
customize a website to promote and manage their science fairs. Key features include online student
registration, an online store for ordering supplies, one-click email marketing to participants and
a photo gallery. Parent teacher organizations and schools can raise funds through online purchases
of science fair supplies. Learn more about Our Science Fair by visiting
http://oursciencefair.com,
emailing info@oursciencefair.com or calling (315) 677-1766.
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