Volunteer Judges Wanted!
VDSF owes its success to its volunteers. We are especially grateful to our amazing judges for lending their time and giving valuable feedback! Participants consistently cite their conversations with judges as the highlight of their VDSF experience.
Although each judge submits their own evaluations, they work in teams of 2 – 3 and are matched to projects based on their area of expertise. Judging at VDSF is a great way to meet other STEM enthusiasts or do something fun with a friend or colleague!
We look forward to catching up with returning judges and welcoming new ones. No prior judging experience is necessary, but prospective judges should:
- have an undergraduate degree in STEM and/or be currently employed in a STEM field
- be comfortable interacting with Grade 7 – 12 students
- (for virtual judges) be willing to appear on camera and be recorded
NOTE: We are always in need of judges who can evaluate projects in French.
VANCOUVER DISTRICT SCIENCE FAIR JUDGING
VDSF is a hybrid fair. Students are required to participate in both in-person and virtual judging, while judges select 1 or both modes depending on their location and availability.
In-person judging
DATE: Friday, March 6, 2026
PLACE: Langara College gymnasium
TIME: 4:00PM – 8:00PM
In-person judges evaluate 12 – 15 projects at 8 minutes per project over the course of Friday evening. They may opt to spread out their scheduled sessions or consolidate them to one half of the evening.
Virtual judging
DATES: Monday, March 2 to Thursday, March 5, 2026
PLACE: Microsoft Teams
TIMESLOTS: 9:00AM – 11:00AM, 2:00PM – 5:00PM, 6:00PM – 9:00PM
Virtual judges evaluate 12 – 15 projects at 10 minutes per project over the course of the week. They may opt to schedule all their judging sessions on the same day and/or in a preferred timeslot.
[Last updated: August 2025]
REGISTER TO BE A VDSF JUDGE
Judge registration opens: Thursday, November 27, 2025 12:00:00AM
Judge registration closes: Friday, February 13, 2026 11:59:59PM
Register online here: VDSF Judges Registration form
Please use your professional / school e-mail address where possible.
- Complete the VDSF Judges Registration Form to indicate your availability and area of expertise.
- If you need to make any changes, re-submit the form. Only the most recently submitted info will be used for scheduling.
- After registration closes, further instructions will be e-mailed to all confirmed judges. If your availability changes after this date, please e-mail the Chief Judge (vdsf.judges@vsb.bc.ca) immediately.
[Last updated: August 2025]
RESOURCES FOR VDSF JUDGES
VDSF judging rubrics
Projects are evaluated on 3 components (scientific thought, originality, communication) with slightly different criteria depending on whether the project is an experiment, innovation, or study. Virtual judges submit their scores and comments using online forms, while in-person judges use paper forms.
EXPERIMENT judging rubric || INNOVATION judging rubric || STUDY judging rubric
Orientation materials
Judging schedules, rubrics, and project abstracts are e-mailed to judges in the week leading up to the fair. This e-mail also includes orientation videos that judges can view on their own time. Depending on the number of new judges, a live orientation may also be offered over Microsoft Teams.
[Last updated: August 2025]
New to VDSF and want to know more? Send inquiries to vdsfjudges@vsb.bc.ca