VDSF registration dates
Student registration opens: Friday, January 17, 2025 12:00:00AM
Student registration closes: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 11:59:59PM
Final e-mail confirmations will be sent out by Saturday, February 15.
[Last updated: August 2024]
How do I register for VDSF?
NOTE: If your school is new to VDSF or has no active teacher contact, your sponsor teacher must submit the VDSF Registration form on your behalf (Step 1).
- Ask your teacher sponsor for the link to the VDSF Registration form. You must be signed in as a VSB student in order to open it. Each project partner should complete and submit their own form.
- Check your VSB e-mail for an e-mail from VDSF within the next 24 hours. This e-mail will contain links for submitting your project profile and project abstract. If your project also requires ethics approval, it will also tell you the current status of your request.
- Continue to check your VSB e-mail regularly for updates to your registration status. If any part(s) of your registration are missing, follow up right away!
- All applicants will be e-mailed after registration closes. If your project has been waitlisted, follow the instructions listed as you may still have a chance.
NOTE: A completed registration does not automatically mean that a project has been accepted to VDSF. Keep an eye out for that confirmation e-mail.
Top 5 reasons why your registration is incomplete
- No teacher verification: Your project was selected to represent your school at VDSF, but your teacher sponsor has not submitted their nomination form. Check with them!
- Missing project profile and/or project abstract: Check your e-mail again. You were sent a link to this form after signing up. Maybe you started the project abstract but never finished it. Project abstracts are read by judges and used to review waitlisted projects.
- Pending ethics approval: You either haven’t sent a request to vdsfethics@gvrsf.ca (or left vdsfprojects@vsb.bc.ca out of your e-mails) or are missing information. If you haven’t submitted a request yet, what are you waiting for?
- Your project partner: You’ve done your part but your project partner hasn’t submitted their registration form. Check with them!
Yay, my project’s been accepted for VDSF! What do I need to do next?
DON’T DELETE THAT CONFIRMATION E-MAIL! This e-mail contains links to various Microsoft Forms for indicating your availability for judging sessions, along with other useful info!
#1. COMPLETE THE PROJECT CONFIRMATION FORM
Submit ONE form per project
- Open your confirmation e-mail and click on the link to the VDSF project confirmation form.
- If you have a project partner, consult with them before submitting one form for your project. Make sure you choose dates & times when both of you are available on Teams.
- If either you or your partner’s availability changes, e-mail the Chief Judge at vdsfjudges@vsb.bc.ca immediately.
- All participants will receive a final e-mail with their judging schedule by. There should be no further conflicts at this point. If there are, please e-mail the Chief Judge at vdsfjudges@vsb.bc.ca immediately.
#2. COMPLETE THE PARTICIPANT CONSENT & PREFERENCES FORMS
Each partner submits their own forms.
- Open your confirmation e-mail and click on the links to the VDSF participant consent form and participant preferences form.
- Each partner should submit their own set of forms. You are not required the select the same workshops or awards ceremony time as each other.
- Your parent/caregiver needs to be present to answer the last few questions on the participant consent form.
#3. ATTEND PARTICIPANT ORIENTATION SESSION
Orientation meeting dates and times will be announced in February. Meeting links are in your confirmation e-mail.
Orientation sessions will be held on Teams and take about an hour. The objectives are:
- To go over what to expect in a virtual vs. in-person judging session and how to prepare
- To make sure students can join breakout rooms, share their screen, and play audio in a Teams meeting
- To review what students can/can’t bring for their project display at Langara
- To answer questions that haven’t already been addressed elsewhere on the VDSF blog
#4. SUBMIT REVISED ETHICS APPROVAL FORMS
Check confirmation e-mail for a link to a shared folder that you can upload your forms to.
- You should still have the e-mail from the GVRSF ethics reviewer granting your project approval. Use it to fill in the final section on your Advice for Request or Ruling from the Committee and/or your Letter of Information.
- Keep a copy of the e-mail granting approval on your phone and be ready to present it during the safety check at Langara.
[Last updated: August 2024]