Science Fair Sign Up Sheet (free, online)

How to set it up

A science fair needs three groups of people and they're different people. Judges, ideally with some science or engineering background, who can give two hours in the afternoon and follow a rubric. Setup helpers who move tables, tape numbers to them and run extension cords. And evening helpers for the open house: greeters, someone handing out ribbons, someone watching the door. Put them on one page as three lists so a parent with a chemistry degree sees the judging row first.

The mistake is asking for judges the week before. Judges need time to read the rubric and clear an afternoon. Post that list a month out. One tip: ask judges which grade band they're comfortable with at signup and how many projects they'll take. Twelve projects per judge is a lot; eight is right.

Questions people ask

How many judges do we need?

Divide the number of projects by eight and round up, then add two for no-shows. A fair with 90 projects needs about 14 judges. Put the number on the row so people can see how close you are.

Can parents judge their own kid's grade?

Best not to. Add a select question at signup asking which grade their child is in, and assign them to a different grade band. It's easy to do when the answer is next to their name.

What do judges need from us?

The rubric a week ahead, a clipboard and a schedule on the day, and a clear stopping time. Put 'rubric emailed the week before' in the description so people know what to expect.

Why not a paper sheet or a Google Form?

A paper sheet lives in one place and fills up with the first people who walk past it. A Google Form takes forty signups for a row that needed two, and you find out in the spreadsheet. An online sign-up sheet closes each row when it's covered, sends a reminder the day before, and gives every person a link to cancel so the spot reopens. See the side-by-side with Google Forms.