More than 900 of the state's top middle and senior high school students will convene for the final round of competition in the California State Science Fair, May 19 -20, 2008 hosted by the California Science Center, and taking place at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Exposition Park. Winners will take home a combined total of nearly $60,000 in cash prizes. The Northrop Grumman Foundation is the Presenting Benefactor of the 2008 California State Science Fair, providing essential funding for this year's event, with additional support from THE MUSES and ITT Corporation.

Students from around the state must first qualify at the regional or county level before advancing to the State Science Fair. The projects span 20 categories -- from aerodynamics/hydrodynamics to zoology -- and will be judged by a volunteer pool of over 300 scientists and engineers from private industry and higher education. In addition to the winners in each category, top honors will go to Student of the Year (senior only), and Project of the Year (in both junior and senior high divisions). Science teachers, nominated by junior and senior high school students, will also compete for Science Teacher of the Year.

Here is a sample of the many interesting projects which will be at the Science Fair:

-- Indoor Air Pollution: The Pulmonary Effects of Ozone-generating Air Purifiers and Other Household Devices

-- Shut Up and Drive: Testing a Driver's Reaction Time While on a Cell Phone

-- Are ADHD Students Really That Different?

-- Does the Color of Your House Affect the Temperature Inside?

Ideas for projects often come from real-life experiences. In addition to the recognition and prize money, participating in the fair has side benefits for students. The process gives students the opportunity to develop a unique set of abilities, such as using scientific methodology to reach a conclusion, marketing techniques to create clever project titles and eye-catching graphic displays, and interviewing skills to explain their research to Science Fair judges.

The public is invited to see this year's projects during the public viewing period on Monday, May 19 from 1 - 4:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, located at 3939 S. Figueroa St. in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Admission is free. Parking is $6; please enter at Hoover and Martin Luther King Blvd.