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The 2026 STEAM Expo takes place March 28 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds!

All K-12 students in Santa Cruz County are invited to participate in the Santa Cruz County STEAM Expo, an event combining a competitive science fair, non-competitive showcase, interactive exhibition, and engaging performances! The STEAM Expo celebrates student innovation and creativity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics -- supporting authentic research and engineering design, while advancing equitable access to inquiry and problem based learning.

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Why Participate in the Science Fair

There are many reasons for a student to undertake a Science Fair project:

Curiosity about some aspect of our world and/or the universe.
Desire to study and learn about science, technology, math or engineering.
Desire to improve upon another’s Science Fair project idea.
A career goal in science, technology, math or engineering.
Desire to solve social problems through the application of scientific thought.
Encouragement by a teacher

There are many rewards for a student to undertake a Science Fair project.

Learning to be responsible for your own education.
Development of skills in scientific inquiry.
Increased knowledge and appreciation of the project content and an appreciation of scientific thought.
Improved skills in literature research and organization of data, concepts, and ideas.
The feeling of achievement and validation of the student’s efforts.
Experience in the highest form of mental application, i.e., analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
The top students will have the opportunity to participate in the California State Science Fair, and International Competitions.

Ways to Participate in the STEAM Expo:

Encourage students to Compete with their projects.

Participate in the Showcase to show off what your students are doing in class, action projects, or projects in progress. (classrooms, teachers and students)

Teachers: Earn CEU's for Judging day-of or for hosting a school-based STEAM, science fair or invention convention!

Encourage high school students to sign up to Volunteer for community service hours

Encourage students & families to attend the event (add it to your school and/or class newsletter & calendar, send home copies of the event flier)

Support for Schools

Need assistance? We are available to support planning for teachers and project mentors through a video conference or a site visit as needed. This support can include ideas for launching projects, best practices for success, help navigating logistical details, and answering questions you may have. If you are interested in scheduling a video conference or site visit, please email Nicole Silva

Vision and Purpose of Expo

Our vision is to celebrate opportunities in STEAM education that inspire and empower all students to be innovative, creative, and determined Makers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.

Our mission is to provide equitable opportunities and access for students to develop and share STEAM Fair projects and explore hands-on STEAM exhibitions and phenomena.

The purpose of the Santa Cruz County STEAM Expo is to...

Promote the STEAM identities of ALL students
Integrate culturally relevant & real world problem solving
Engage students in collaborating, communicating and taking action
Highlight critical thinking and creativity
Connect students, teachers, industry & community partners
Foster interest in STEAM-centered careers
Support implementation of the California State Standards

More than just a Science Fair, the STEAM Expo offers a place for students to exhibit and get feedback on their projects, alongside engaging activities for the whole family.

The STEAM Expo enables students to explore their interests and talents by offering different project types and categories from which students can choose, many of which are directly tied to categories represented in California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF), the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the Invention Convention. Students have the option to compete with their project and continue on to state and international competitions, or to showcase their project. Students will have the opportunity to discuss their projects with judges and the community to receive feedback on how they can improve their projects. Collaborative groups of up to three (3) students are ENCOURAGED to work on projects together for competition, and larger groups are permitted in the showcase.

We recognize the potential for Science & Engineering Fairs to be ideal incubators for inspiring and empowering our next generation of innovators by following these following principles:

The fair must be specifically designed to be inclusive and serve all students equally, regardless of the amount of outside or in-class support they receive during their projects.
Students should be given the option of whether or not they would like to “compete” against other students and have their assessment or placement of their work to be open to the public. (Students CHOOSE to have their work at the Expo).
Through interviews and discussions, all students who participate in the Expo should be assessed based on their learning experience and their demonstration of 21st Century Skills, Standards-Based Practices, and their overall problem-solving skills and they should be given constructive feedback that can help them grow.
The Fair Organizer must clearly and effectively communicate the expectations of the students’ experiences and the structure for success to students, parents, and teachers in order for students to have positive and successful project experiences.

Students should be allowed to enter projects in the fair that follow different problem-solving methods, such as Scientific Inquiry, Engineering Design, Case Study, Computer Science, Theoretical, or Experimental.