FAQ | DVSF

Frequently Asked Questions About DVSF

Many answers to your questions can be found here. Information is available about dates, rules, expectations, and how to complete the process from start to finish.

Q: Why am I not getting emails from STEM Wizard about my project? A: The most likely answer is that the email address that you used to register is a school account. Many school accounts block external senders from reaching students. Try changing the registered email address to a personal address or that of a parent or guardian.

Q: A couple of my milestones say “Awaiting Approval.” What do I need to do to approve the milestone? A: If the milestone is displaying “Awaiting Approval,” you have completed that Milestone. Approval is a process internal to DVSF. If there is a problem with the information, you will be contacted. All approvals will be completed before Judging Day.

Q: Can I delete uploaded files? A: You can not delete any files that have been uploaded. If you are updating the file from a previous fair to incorporate changes made, you can upload a new file, and it will replace the previous one.

Q: I got a message saying that my registration is not complete. What does that mean? A: This message is sent to any account that has not yet completed all of the milestones. Log in to STEM Wizard and update any missing information. If all of the milestones are green or displaying the gray “Awaiting Approval”, then all of your information is complete, and you do not need to do anything further.

Q: My regional fair said that my project information will be promoted to DVSF, and I can use the same username/password combination. STEM Wizard will let me log in, but I’m getting a message that the account doesn’t exist/is not recognized. How do I register? A: Your DVSF account will be activated once your regional fair completes the promotion process. For some fairs, this can take a few days. Once that process is completed, you will be able to log in to DVSF’s STEM Wizard. If you have questions about when promotion will be completed, please contact your regional fair director for clarification. You will receive an email once the promotion process has been completed. PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT. THE NEW ACCOUNT WILL NOT BE ACTIVE, AND ANY FILES UPLOADED WILL NOT BE REVIEWED BY THE JUDGES.

Q: I’m trying to create my account on STEM Wizard, but I can’t find my Child Fair in the menu. What should I do? A: If your Child Fair is not listed, your Child Fair used STEM Wizard, and your account will be promoted to DVSF. This process can take a few days. Once the account is promoted, you will receive a message through STEM Wizard, and you can log in to DVSF using the same username/password as you used in the previous fair. Contact the regional fair director for more information about when the promotion will take place. PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT. THE NEW ACCOUNT WILL NOT BE ACTIVE, AND ANY FILES UPLOADED WILL NOT BE REVIEWED BY THE JUDGES.

Q: I did a team project, and each of the team members created their own account. How can I combine them? A: Contact DVSF at jdisston@dvsf.org for assistance.

This Section is for teachers of students who used STEM Wizard in their Regional Fair and were promoted through STEM Wizard. If STEM Wizard was not used in your Regional Fair please see the "Students Manually Registered" section.

Q: My regional fair login information does not work for the DVSF STEM Wizard. What do I do? A: Teacher accounts are not promoted through STEM Wizard; however, you can continue to monitor your students’ progress. To access your students’ accounts, you should continue to log in to your regional fair’s STEM Wizard account. From your student list, you can “log in” as a given student using the drop-down menu to the left of each student. This lets you see the information that particular student sees. You can check the status of the milestones for each student and know what has been completed and what needs to be done.

Q: Some of my student’s milestones are marked as “Awaiting Approval”. How can I approve the milestone? A: Milestone approval is a process internal to DVSF. If the milestone is in this state, there is no more action that needs to be taken at this time. Any issues affecting the approval will be communicated through STEM Wizard. If there are no issues, the milestone will be approved and will be marked completed. All approvals will be completed before judging begins; however, with nearly 1000 projects, approval does take some time.

Q: Why are my students not getting emails from STEM Wizard? A: The most likely reason is that the student was registered using a school email address. Most of the schools that we serve block all external messages sent to students by default. Try changing the registered address to a personal account or that of a parent/guardian. Other issues could include: a typo in the address, multiple accounts using the same address, or the messages are being treated as SPAM by the email system the student is using. Please add info@stemwizard.com as an approved sender to avoid spam filters.

Q: I got a message saying that the registration is incomplete. Wasn’t all of the information supposed to be transferred to DVSF in the promotion process? A: One reason for this message is that there are a few DVSF specific milestones that were not part of the regional fair. Please ask the student to log in and complete the milestones. Another cause of this message is that there are milestones that require approval. See the above question about approval for more information.

This section is for Teachers of Students who DID NOT use STEM Wizard in their Regional Fair. If your Regional Fair used STEM Wizard please see the "Studentes Promoted" section.

Q: Some of my student’s milestones are marked as “Awaiting Approval”. How can I approve the milestone? A: Milestone approval is a process internal to DVSF. If the milestone is in this state, there is no further action that needs to be taken at this time. Any issues affecting the approval will be communicated through STEM Wizard. If there are no issues, the milestone will be approved and will be marked completed. All approvals will be completed before judging begins; however, with nearly 1000 projects, approval does take some time.

Q: Why are my students not getting emails from STEM Wizard? A: The most likely reason is that the student was registered using a school email address. Most of the schools that we serve block all external messages sent to students by default. Try changing the registered address to a personal account or that of a parent/guardian. Other issues could include a typo in the address, multiple accounts using the same address, or the messages being treated as spam by the email system the student is using. Please add info@stemwizard.com as an approved sender to avoid spam filters.

Q: I got an email that says I have projects available to judge. How do I start? A: If you log into STEM Wizard, you will see a new tab on the left-hand side of the page that is marked “Judging”. If you click into that tab, you will see a list of projects that have been assigned to your category. Each project should have a document attached to it that you can download and review.

Q: How do I enter my scores? A: All scoring will be done at the live fair. The button to add your score is part of the system, and we can not disable it. The purpose of this portion of judging is just to get a preview of the project to help inform you of the content of each project.

Q: How do I know what category I have been assigned to? A: Each project in the list is assigned a project number. The format will be: GG-CCC-###. The GG portion is the grade level, the CCC component is the category within that grade level, and the ### is the number of the project within the category. Grade levels are: 12: 12th Grade 11: 11th Grade 10: 10th Grade 09: 9th Grade MS: Middle School (Grades 6-8) TM: High School Teams Categories are: BEH: Behavior and Social Sciences BCM: Biochemistry BOT: Botany CHM: Chemistry CMP: Computer Science E&S: Earth and Space Sciences ENG: Engineering ENV: Environmental Science MTH: Mathematics MED: Medicine and Health Sciences MIC: Microbiology PHY: Physics ZOO: Zoology CON: Consumer Science (Middle School only - Testing of consumer products) TM: Team Projects (Can be any discipline, but the work will have been carried out by 2-3 students)

Q: I’m a Special Awards Judge. I do not have any assigned projects. How can I see the previews for the whole fair? A: We are unable to provide special awards judges with the Project Previews. This is a deficiency of the system. However, we will attempt to share a PDF of any abstracts that have been uploaded by the competitors. Please contact Mary-Rita Bonner (mrbonner@dvsf.org) for any assistance.

Q: What is the Delaware Valley Science Fair? A: The Delaware Valley Science Fair is a science and engineering fair affiliated with the Society for Science, which operates the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. The Delaware Valley Science Fair is a regional fair that supports Southeast Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the state of Delaware.

Q: Who can attend the Delaware Valley Science Fair? A: Students participating in and winning at their local fair are eligible to advance to the Delaware Valley Science Fair. The top three local fair winners in each category in the high school divisions are eligible to advance to the Delaware Valley Science Fair. The top two winners in each category in the middle school division are eligible to advance to the Delaware Valley Science Fair.

Q: When is the Delaware Valley Science Fair? A: DVSF is held annually the week of the first Wednesday of April. For the 2026 Fair, Project set up and Display & Safety review is Tuesday, March 31st. Judging Day is Wednesday, April 1st. The awards ceremony is Thursday night, April 2nd.

Q: Where is the Delaware Valley Science Fair? A: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave. Oaks, PA 19456.

Q: What if I cannot attend the Delaware Valley Science Fair on April 7th? A: The fair is an in-person interview process. One must attend in person to participate. There is no virtual alternative to the fair. There are no exceptions.

Q: I want to compete in ISEF. How do I qualify? A: Participation in DVSF is a requirement for students in our area. Each high school grade will have a Gold, Silver, and Bronze winner. Those individual projects will be eligible for ISEF, Team projects are not eligible for ISEF. The Medalists are selected from the 13 1st place winners in each category by a panel of experienced judges.

Q: How do I compete if I am a homeschool student? A: Homeschool students must go through the local regional fair based on their home address. Please contact the regional fair director for more information.

Q: My child has a medical condition. What do I need to do? A: We will make every effort to accommodate all medical concerns. There will be an EMT on-site for the duration of Judging Day for emergencies. Please contact Bob Solomon (bsolomon@dvsf.org) so that we can best accommodate your child’s unique needs.

Q: If a student does not have or does not want to provide a personal email address what should they do? A: Most schools block emails to students from outside sources. It is important that students are able to receive updates from DVSF and our management platform STEM Wizard. If your school allows students to receive email from our domains (@dvsf.org and @stemwizard.com) then the school email address can be used. If outside emails are blocked then an alternate email address must be provided. This alternate address can be that of a parent/guardian, another responsible adult, or a temporary address created specifically for participation in DVSF.

Q: Can I change my category when I come to DVSF? A: No, DVSF requires that all projects compete in the same category they qualified in at the regional fair.

Q: What will happen if I don’t say yes in the consent milestones? A: Many of our sponsors and special award organizations need a student’s information in order to award their prize packages. If the student does not give consent to DVSF to share that information, the student may not be considered for those awards.

Q: When can I set up my project for DVSF? A: Setup Day is the Tuesday before Judging Day (Judging Day is typically the first Wednesday of April). For 2026, the Setup Day is March 31, 2026 from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Q: Do I have to be present to set up my project? A: No, the student does not need to be present for Setup and Display & Safety. The project can be set up by someone of the student’s choosing. There is no need to register the setup person with DVSF, just come and setup. It is important that whoever sets up the project retains all of the materials distributed at setup and gives them to the student before Judging Day. Most important is the student's badge. As a security precaution, no one without a proper badge will be allowed inside the exhibit hall.

Q: How should I dress for Judging Day? A: There is no formal dress code for DVSF. However, it is important to bear in mind that a more “professional” appearance is recommended when possible. It is also important to consider that the interview process can take several hours so comfort might be a consideration. DVSF tries to be inclusive to all students, so dress in a way that does not cause a burden (financially, physically, or in another way burdensome).

Q: I don’t feel comfortable sharing my student’s personal email or I don’t know the student’s personal email. What can I do? A: First verify whether or not the school email address is able to receive external emails to students. If the student accounts can receive email from @dvsf.org or @stemwizard.com addresses, then use the school account. If not, contact the parents/guardians and determine what other options might be available. A parent’s address would be best. Students will need to be able to check for messages in case there are issues with the process.

Q: Do I need to chaperone my students? A: You do not need to chaperone your students. Teachers and parents are not allowed in the exhibit hall during judging.

Q: Will there be a place for me to sit and connect to WiFi during DVSF? A: There is a small area by the entrance to Hall A at the Expo Center for parents and teachers. Space and seating are limited. WiFi is not provided by DVSF. The Expo Center has WiFi access available to purchase. See their website for details.

Q: What are the qualifications to be a judge? A: We ask that judges have at least a Bachelor's degree and experience in a STEM-related field, or a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM-related field and a current enrollment in a graduate program.

Q: What is the difference between a Category Award and a Special Award? A: Category Awards are awards that are given in every category and determine the projects eligible for ISEF. Special Awards are awards given by a company or professional organization using criteria unique to the organization giving the award. Most of our judges are Category Award Judges. When an organization sponsors a special award, they send their employees/members as Special Award Judges.

Q: When does judging start? A: We ask that judges arrive at the Expo Center at 7:30 am. There will be a continental breakfast and a short orientation before judges find their groups and begin reviewing projects. A box lunch is provided and interviews with students will be in the afternoon.

Q: What should I bring to the Expo Center for Judging Day? A: We ask that you bring something to take notes and a pen/pencil. We will have judging rubrics and a limited number of writing implements available for judges. We also recommend that you bring something that can act as a writing surface (clipboard, portfolio, etc.)

Q: Is there a dress code? A: We only ask that you dress in what would be considered “Business Casual”. IMPORTANT: You will be spending a good portion of your time standing and walking so appropriate footwear is recommended.

Q: How long do I need to stay? A: Once you have made your determination of winners, reported them to the floor coordinators and completed the student feedback forms, you are free to leave. The timing will be determined by the size of the category and the quality of the projects. Typically we have completed the judging around 4:30 pm but many judges will finish sooner.

Q: How can I volunteer at DVSF if I don’t want to be a judge? A: There are many ways to volunteer at DVSF! On Mondays, we need help setting up the hall for the competition. Tuesday is when students set up their projects from 9 AM - 8 PM. We need volunteers to check-in the students and more volunteers to do the Display & Safety checks. Wednesday is Judging Day and there is always a need for volunteers to help in a variety of ways. The Awards Ceremony is Thursday. We need volunteers to help with prep during the day and the ceremony that evening. You can register to volunteer at dvsf.stemwizard.com.

Q: I don’t have my clearances. Can I still volunteer at DVSF? A: Yes. Our fair does not require clearances in order to judge or volunteer at DVSF.

Q: I have a child and no daycare. Can I bring my child when I volunteer if I bring things to keep them busy? A: No. We don’t have a space for children who are not participating in the fair. We appreciate your desire to volunteer to help advance STEM education in our area but DO NOT bring your children to the fair if you plan on volunteering.

Q: How can I sponsor a Special Award? A: Professional organizations, corporations, and higher learning institutions can sponsor a Special Award in many different ways. They may provide monetary prizes, plaques, trophies, or scholarships. If you are interested in sponsoring a Special Award, please contact our Director of Awards and Scholarships, Mary-Rita Bonner, at mrbonner@dvsf.org

Q: Do I need to send judges for my Special Award? A: Yes. If an organization sponsors a Special Award, they must send judges to select winning projects that meet their criteria.

Q: Who creates/prints the certificates for the students? A: Some organizations bring their certificates and plaques to the Awards Ceremony. If you have a digital certificate, at least two weeks prior to the fair you can send it to mrbonner@dvsf.org so it can be printed and given to students at the Awards Ceremony.

Q: I would like to hand out our Special Awards at the Awards Ceremony. What should I do? A: If a representative from your organization would like to participate in the Awards Ceremony, please be sure to notify Mary-Rita Bonner (mrbonner@dvsf.org) on Judging Day so we can prepare accordingly.

Q: Do I have to attend the Awards Ceremony or will DVSF hand out our prize? A: Special Awards organizations do not need to be present for the Awards Ceremony. DVSF will be happy to distribute your awards for you.

Q: What time is the awards ceremony? A: The Awards Ceremony starts at 5:30 PM on April 2nd in D Hall at the Expo Center with the presentation of the Special Awards. This will be followed by the presentation of the Category Awards and Medalists, starting at approximately 7:00 PM in the same space.

Q: I won a Category Award but not a Special Award. Do I need to come to the whole ceremony? A: No, you can come only for the Category Awards presentation starting at approximately 7:00 PM.

Q: I won a Special Award but not a Category Award. Do I need to stay for the whole ceremony? A: No, once the Special Awards portion of the ceremony is complete you may leave.

Q: What happens if I am unable to attend the Awards Ceremony? How will I get my prize? A: Unclaimed prizes will be sent to the local regional fair directors so they can distribute them to the winners in their area.