Calling all Young Scientists and Engineers!
Do you ever look at the world around you and find yourself thinking:
I wonder…?
At the Maine Middle School Science & Engineering Fair, we challenge you to ask questions and solve problems in the world around you. Let your curiosity and creativity run free!
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Important Dates
- March 1 - Student Registration
- March 10 - Advance Review Form due for human subjects research and potentially hazardous projects
- April 12 - All other forms due
Register for MMSSEF
Register for MMSSEF
- Teachers register their school
- Students register and get parental permission
- Students submit their project forms
Contact Us
Sponsors
Blue Diamond | $15,000+
Emerald | $10,000+
Ruby | $5,000+
Tourmaline | $2,500+
Tanzanite | $1,000+
Contact Stefany Burrell, sburrell@mmsa.org, to learn more about sponsoring the Maine Middle School Science & Engineering Fair.
Register for MMSSEF!
Step 1. Teacher registers their school.
Lead teacher: please register here. Homeschooling parents: please use this form too!
Step 2. Each teacher registers using this form.
Once registered, they can share the student registration form with their classes.
Step 3. Each student registers and gets parental permission with this form.
Parents will get an email with a permission form to sign online. Deadline: March 1
Step 4. Students submit their project forms.
See below for submission forms. Students working in teams: you only need to submit your project forms once!
Step 5. Students practice their presentation skills for the big day.
Project Submission
Projects involving certain activities must be approved by MMSSEF prior to experimentation. These projects require specific forms to be submitted by March 10. Review the graphic below and refer to the official MMSSEF Rules to determine whether a project requires Advance Review. Contact MMSSEF staff with any questions. Use our FORM WIZARD to help students identify which paperwork they need to complete.
All projects must be finalized with the use of our Final Submission Form by April 12.
Event Info
The Science & Engineering Fair is a one-day expo where students share their STEM projects with their peers, families, and judges from Maine organizations. The 2023 event will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023 in central Maine (TBA). Stay tuned for any COVID protocols the organizers deem necessary.
Awards
We are affiliated with Thermo Fisher MASTERS! What does that mean for you? The top 10% of projects that compete at the MMSSEF get to represent Maine at this national competition! In addition, our Maine students can compete for local awards.
Grand Awards
The following students have been nominated for Broadcom MASTERS, the nation’s premier STEM competition for middle school students.
- 1st Place: Charlotte Reed, James F. Doughty School
How does aromatherapy affect daphnia? - 2nd Place: Abby Caron, William S. Cohen School
A Look Into the Future Through Limiting Our Pollution - 3rd Place: Victoria Wahlig, Falmouth Middle School
Optimization of Flettner Rotor Sail Design as a Means of Reducing Underwater Noise and Carbon Emissions - 4th Place: Reid Quirk, Orono Middle School
Experimental Evolution in Yogurt and Yeast Microbes - 5th Place: Skye Glover, Falmouth Middle School (pictured below)
An Investigation of Opinions and Attitudes Towards Pit Bulls: Comparing Animal Professionals and the General Public - 6th Place: Morgan Higgins, James F. Doughty School
Can Mushrooms be an Effective Antibacterial Agent Due to Causing Apoptosis?
Special Awards
- Broadcom Coding with Commitment Award: Connor Moeykens, Orono Middle School
The Effect of Music on Short Term Memory in Young Adolescents - Lemelson Early Inventor Prize: Victoria Wahlig, Falmouth Middle School
Optimization of Flettner Rotor Sail Design as a Means of Reducing Underwater Noise and Carbon Emissions
Department of Defense STEM Leadership Award: Koda Serrecchia, Nokomis Regional Middle School (pictured below)
Wind Tunnel
Category Awards
Behavioral & Social Sciences
- 1st Place: Skye Glover, Falmouth Middle School
An Investigation of Opinions and Attitudes Towards Pit Bulls: Comparing Animal Professionals and the General Public - 2nd Place: Connor Moeykens, Orono Middle School
The Effect of Music on Short Term Memory in Young Adolescents - 3rd Place: Nicholas Theriault, Noble High School
Effects of Baroque Music on Studying
Engineering & Computation
- 1st Place: Abby Caron, William S. Cohen School
A Look Into the Future Through Limiting Our Pollution - 2nd Place: Victoria Wahlig, Falmouth Middle School
Optimization of Flettner Rotor Sail Design as a Means of Reducing Underwater Noise and Carbon Emissions - 3rd Place: Koda Serrecchia, Nokomis Regional Middle School
Wind Tunnel
Environmental Sciences
- 1st Place: Ivy Roy, James F. Doughty School
Can Aloe Plants Clear Smoggy Air? - 2nd Place: Julia Rall, James F. Doughty School
How does water quality compare between the east and west sides of Sears Island Maine? - 3rd Place: Brayden Dennett & Darius Rancourt, James F. Doughty School
Can films made from cellulose nanofiber and powdered spirulina algae reduce water loss for alternative packaging?
Life Sciences
- 1st Place: Charlotte Reed, James F. Doughty School
How does aromatherapy affect daphnia? - 2nd Place: Reid Quirk, Orono Middle School
Experimental Evolution in Yogurt and Yeast Microbes - 3rd Place: Morgan Higgins, James F. Doughty School
Can Mushrooms be an Effective Antibacterial Agent Due to Causing Apoptosis?
Physical Sciences
- 1st Place: Riley Bosco, James F. Doughty School
Do Blue Light Glasses Actually Work? - 2nd Place: Andrew Franklin, Nokomis Regional Middle School
How long could we have kept the Titanic afloat - 3rd Place: Brayden Sloan, James F. Doughty School
How much does the size and mass of a baseball bat affect the distance of your hit? - Honorable Mention: John Hildebrand, Orono Middle School
The effect of air velocity on pressure - Honorable Mention: Malath Mohammed, Orono Middle School
Measuring the Surface Tension of Kitchen Liquids at Room Temperature - Honorable Mention: Meadow de Vries, Cape Elizabeth Middle School
Particulate Matter and Types of Microwave Popcorn
Grand Awards
The following students will represent Maine at the Broadcom MASTERS Competition:
- 1st Place – Adriana Rogow – Falmouth Middle School
Insta-depressed?: the effects of social media on middle school students - 2nd Place – Grace Muffett – James F. Doughty School, Bangor
Can Tardigrades Survive a High Altitude Balloon Flight? - 3rd Place – Alex Busco – James F. Doughty School, Bangor
Microplastics in Bottled Water: Searching for a Common Correlation Between Bottle Size and Microplastic Concentration
Lemelson Young Inventors Award ($100)
- Ian Blackwell and Nik Horton – James F. Doughty School, Bangor
Nanocellulose and sawdust particle boards
Great work everyone! Congratulations to the winners!
Exciting News from Broadcom MASTERS!
Alex Busco of James F. Doughty School in Bangor has been named one of the 2021 Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS! Congratulations, Alex, and best of luck at the next level of competition!
Meet the Team
Cary James
cjames@mmsa.org
207-478-4500
Stefany Burrell
sburrell@mmsa.org
207-626-3230 x 116
Rebecca Clark Uchenna
rclarkuchenna@mmsa.org
207-626-3230 x 119