The SSP Middle School Program is the only U.S. national science competition for science fair participants in grades 5–8. Students are selected annually from a national field of thousands to participate in the finals of this competition. Gathering in Washington, D.C. each October, the finalists present their projects to professional scientist judges and their fellow students. In addition, student teams perform a variety of scientific experiments.

This spring local, regional and state science fair competitions are occurring throughout the country as students present their projects.  At these local fairs, science fair participants in the 5th through 8th grades will have the opportunity to win a nomination to the SSP Middle School Program.

Students participating in SSP-affiliate fairs have a chance of winning a nomination that will go to the 1st and 2nd place category award winners (or roughly the top 10% of participants) in the 5th-8th grades.  These selected nominees will receive a prize letter with details on how to register and receive entry materials.  Students will be asked to write essays based on their science fair project and science fair experience to compete to be one of 300 semifinalists and ultimately one of the 30 finalists.
 

The 30 finalists win an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC to compete for scholarships, trips and other awards while presenting their science fair project and doing science with 29 of their peers from around the nation.

The SSP Middle School Program was born from our commitment to serving the middle school science fair audience as we have done for 9 years with Discovery Communications through the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge.

Society for Science & the Public is proud to offer this program to encourage middle school students to pursue their interest in science and independent research.  For further information visit: