The Virginia Lakes and Watersheds Association (VLWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting scientific and educational efforts to protect the quality and uses of Virginia’s Lakes and Watersheds.   In order to promote educational awareness of our mission at the middle and high school grade levels, the VLWA offers special awards at the regional science fairs located throughout the Commonwealth.   Awards are offered to those science fair projects that provide sound scientific research pertaining to stormwater studies, water quality improvements and watershed investigations as they relate to our local waters.  Judges select a winner at the high school and the middle school levels based on relevance to our organization’s mission, in addition to project appearance, clarity, and sound scientific method.

There are eleven (11) Regional Science Fair competitions held during the month of March of each year.  The VLWA offers the high school winner at each fair a $100 gift card from the VLWA ($75 each if a team project) and the middle school winner receives a $50 gift card ($35 each if a team project).  Many fairs are open only to public school children, while some also allow home school and private school participation. 

Please encourage the students of family, friends and colleagues to participate in these events and support the sciences in our schools!

VLWA members can also participate in these events by serving as judges in the various categories or by judging only for the VLWA award.  If interested, please contact Rebecca Francese at (757) 636-0082 or e-mail her at rfrancese@waterway.net.

Contacts and dates for the 2011 Regional Science Fairs are provided below.  Check for updates on the dates, locations and contacts for the 2012 Science Fairs!