Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Opens Today

More than 1,500 Students Compete for Nearly $4 Million at World’s Largest Pre-College Science Fair.

ATLANTA.– Young scientists and innovators from around the world arrived in Atlanta today to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair presented by Agilent Technologies. Here at the world’s largest pre-college science competition, more than 1,500 high school students from 51 countries, regions and territories compete this week for nearly $4 million in scholarships and awards. The top three winners will each be awarded a $50,000 scholarship by the Intel Foundation.

Finalists’ projects tackle critical issues that resonate across the globe. For example, many of this year’s projects focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, including viable alternative fuel sources such as algae in wastewater. Students also worked on improving the functionality of robots; identifying the molecular pathways that underlie alcohol addiction; utilizing sensory integration activities to treat sensory and speech impediments among autistic children; and identifying genetic factors behind other diseases, including Lou Gehrig’s Disease. In fact, nearly 20 percent of the projects being presented this year either have been patented or have been submitted to become patented.

Sponsorship of the International Science and Engineering Fair is one aspect of Intel’s multi-year, multi-million dollar global commitment to education. Since Intel became the prime sponsor of the fair in 1996, the number of finalists has grown by 40 percent to include more than 1,500 students and the number of participating countries, regions and territories has grown by more than 70 percent. Intel has long been committed to promoting math and science education. In the past decade alone, Intel has invested $1 billion worldwide to improve education. Today, Intel invests more than $100 million annually to promote education and technological literacy around the world.

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett will open the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2008 at a ceremony from 6:30 to 9:30 tonight at the Georgia World Congress Center. Finalists will present their projects Thursday to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (students will be with their projects from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

“The promise and future of our global community are in Atlanta this week,” Barrett said. “The 1,557 finalists in Atlanta represent the millions of students who entered local science fairs around the world in an effort to get here. The work of these youth in creating innovative solutions to pressing global problems demonstrates the ever increasing value of math and science education around the world.”

Society for Science & the Public (formerly Science Service), a nonprofit organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, owns and has administered the International Science and Engineering Fair since its inception in 1950.

“The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair unites the most talented young researchers from the around the globe,” said Elizabeth Marincola, CEO, Society for Science & the Public. “Through the annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, we reward their passion, feed their interest and provide a critically important mechanism for these special individuals from around the world to connect with each other. We are confident that they will continue to apply their talents to tackling the greatest challenges to our planet and our society.”

Finalists are selected annually from more than 550 International Science and Engineering Fair-affiliated fairs around the world. Projects are evaluated by more than 1,200 judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or equivalent 6 years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines, and include Nobel Laureates and Intel fellows.