Mohican District Science Day: March 22, 2025
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.
ProjectBoard
The Ohio Academy of Science will provide access to a new event portal through ProjectBoard. STEM Wizard will no longer be used. 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:
- The student must register in ProjectBoard,
- 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,
- 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 December 18, 2024 and closes on February 26, 2025. 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.
Important Dates
ProjectBoard Accounts:
Teachers and Students – Account creation opens September 5, 2024 and CLOSES January 16, 2025.
Mentors – TBA
Judges – TBA
Registration Closes:
Monday, Feb. 26, 2025
IMPORTANT: If a student or team of students have not finished the registration process by Feb. 26 (including all forms), they will not be eligible to compete. This is a statewide date set by the OAS and there can be no exceptions.
Forms should be completed by Feb. 10, 2025, so the council members have time to review forms and suggest corrections, since there will be no editing after Feb. 26.
For additional information please visit the Registration Information page.
District Fair
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. T-shirts will be available for $15.00. Registration fee and T-shirt orders forms should be mailed to Jeff Steele, postmarked by Feb. 27. 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.
Special Awards
Students whose research impresses the judges the most may qualify for any of the awards listed below. Students are limited to two awards. All students who attend the district will be eligible for the special awards that do not require registration. Awards that require registration are specified below.
Recipients of cash awards or the Outstanding Student Award must complete a W-9 form, including their social security number, on the day of receipt. Ashland University will not issue checks to individuals without a W-9 form.
The Ohio Academy of Science
The OAS is a nonprofit organization founded to promote research, disseminate scientific knowledge and stimulate interest, improve instruction and recognize high achievements in the sciences. The Junior Academy Council of the OAS sets quotas of students who can compete in State Science Day and sets the rules for entries and judging criteria.
Participants who receive superior ratings at the district level may be selected to compete in the OAS Virtual State Science Fair that follows. Judging for the state fair begins on May 3. For information, visit the official OAS website.
Mohican District Science Council
The Mohican District is composed of teachers from eight counties: Ashland, Erie, Holmes, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Richland and Wayne. Each county is entitled to three representatives from: public or parochial, junior or senior high schools and city or county systems. If you are interested in joining the Mohican District Council, please email or call any council member for information.
Bryan Baynes
515 E Main St
Loudonville, OH 44842
567-217-1730
BBaynes@outlook.com
Makayla Chipka
Manager of Regulatory and Compliance – Consumer
2013 Stone Hedge Lane
Ashland, Ohio 44805
419-545-1245
Makayla.chipka1@gmail.com
Cillian Donohue
Senior Research Analyst at Charles River Labs
440-476-8501
Cillian.donahue@crl.com
Tim Frye
Purdue University EPE Division, retired
4168 Aspen Place
West Salem, OH 44287
tfrye@purdue.edu
Nick Johnson, Ph.D.
Chemistry/Geology/Physics Dept.
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio 44805
419-207-4552
njohnso9@ashland.edu
Amanda Kozak
Bellevue Schools
100 Oakland Avenue
Bellevue, OH 44811
419-484-5570
amandakozak@bellevueschools.org
Michelle Morrow
5th Grade Science – Northwestern MS
11885 Eby Road
Sterling, Ohio 44267
330-242-6366
nrws_morrow@tccsa.net
Dmytro Solomianiuk
Former International Affairs Officer for the Junior Academy of Science of Ukraine
567-284-6830
dsolomia@ashland.edu
Delilah Speitel-Steiner
625 Claremont Avenue
Ashland, OH 44805
bgsu76@yahoo.com
Jeff Steele
(Council President & Director’s Assistant)
Ashland University
Ashland, OH 44805
419-207-6780
jsteele4@ashland.edu
Jeff Weidenhamer, Ph.D., Director
Chemistry/Geology/Physics Dept.
Ashland University
Ashland, OH 44805
419-289-5281
jweiden@ashland.edu
