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Mohican District Science Day

Every year, Ashland University hosts Mohican District Science Day. This prestigious event is governed by the Junior Academy Council of the Ohio Academy of Science (OAS) and allows students in grades 5-12 to showcase their research efforts and compete for the best ratings. Students who earn a superior rating will then be eligible to compete in the State Science Event, which will once again be a virtual event.

This year, the district fair will be held in person in the Ashland University Convocation Center on March 22, 2025.

• 7:30 a.m. - Doors open
• 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Registration for students and judges and set-up of projects
• 9 a.m. - noon - Judging (no parents or visitors permitted in the display area during this time)
• Noon - 2 p.m. - Lunch on your own, projects on display for public viewing
• 2 p.m. - Awards Ceremony (usually takes approximately one hour). Cash award winners must fill out a W-9 form with their Social Security Number following this ceremony to receive their money.

For important information about required forms for District and State Science Days, please visit the Society for Science website.

For general State Science Day information, visit The Ohio Academy of Science website.

The Ohio Academy of Science will provide access to a new event portal through ProjectBoard. All students are required to start and complete their projects using the rubrics, guidance and forms provided in ProjectBoard, which is provided at no cost.

Teachers need to create a ProjectBoard account before their students can register.  Once a teacher has created a classroom(s) for their students, they will be given a code that their students will use to create their accounts and register. This will allow teachers to use ProjectBoard to supervise and mentor their students from the very beginning of project planning. A superior rating at a local science fair is not required to participate in the district fair this year, but for those schools that still plan to hold a local fair, ProjectBoard has fair management support; schools may use the features for their own local fair.

To begin a project or to prepare to submit a project for the 2025 District Science Day:

1. The student must register in ProjectBoard,
2. Complete the necessary required “tiles/sections” in their project template (ISEF forms, abstract and final report; (quad chart and up to 15 minute video needed for District 18 fair ONLY)) and then,
3. Submit their project.

Please read all the information provided before you begin! Additional information can be found by visiting the OAS Youtube Channel.

Project submission for District Science Day opens Dec. 9, 2024 and closes on Feb. 25, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.. A “Submit” button is located at the top of the student’s project in ProjectBoard. Students will use this button and select which event(s) they are registering for. Please watch the following videos and review the registration manual BEFORE beginning the submission.

• Registration manual: BSEF_DSD Project Submission for Students
• District Science Day Registration Video

Students in grades 9-12 may also participate in the Buckeye Science and Engineering Fair (BSEF), a qualifying fair for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held in Columbus, Ohio, from May 7-10, 2025. Project submission for the BSEF opens Dec. 9, 2024 and closes on Feb. 3, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.

• Registration manual: BSEF_DSD Project Submission for Students
• BSEF Registration Video

For additional information please visit the Registration Information page.

For the in-person event, students need to bring their trifold project poster board. No video is required. Students are welcome to bring a laptop and show the video they need to create for the Virtual State Fair, however, no electricity will be provided.

The registration fee remains at $30.00 per student and can be paid online as part of registration. If a school is paying their students’ registrations, please email Jeff Steele (jsteele4@ashland.edu) and let him know. Please include a list of the participating student’s names. T-shirts will be available for $15.00. T-shirt orders forms should be mailed to Jeff Steele, postmarked by Feb. 28. Send to:

Mohican District Science Day
c/o Jeff Steele
220 Kettering Hall
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio 44805

Because we are new to ProjectBoard, we are including the name of the STEM Advocate serving the Northern Ohio Region for the Ohio Academy of Science. She can assist you with questions about the Science Day process that we may not currently be able to answer. Her name is Sheila Cubick and her email address is scubick@ohiosci.org.