Louisville Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Help us continue six decades of encouraging Kentucky students in STEAM research.

LRSEF 2026 will be held on March 7 at the University of Louisville.  View 2025 award winners here.

       

What does your gift mean to Kentucky middle & high school students? 

LRSEF supports student creativity & real-world problem solving at our annual fair & in our outreach efforts. 

The mission of LRSEF is to engage, encourage, & empower the students in our region by providing them with opportunities to showcase their STEM research, compete for awards, & form meaningful connections with mentors and peers. 

 The vision of LRSEF is to attract, support and inspire diverse & talented students; to foster a culture of scientific inquiry & excellence in our region; & to expand the STEM engagement of our community comprising students, teachers. parents, judges, community members & sponsors.

Your donation will be used to encourage and reward: 

• Over 350 students from 29+ schools for conducting unique STEAM projects. 
• Independent research by students displayed in 22 diverse categories.
• Each participant at this all-day event featuring engaging dialogue with professional judges.
• Everyone with a backpack, lanyard, T-shirt, breakfast, lunch & a celebratory Awards Ceremony.  
• The funing of cash prizes & ribbons at 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in all 22 topic areas, plus 4th place ribbons.
• LRSEF gives teacher supply grants & fee waivers to students from underrepresented minorities and/or those who qualify for free/reduced lunch.

 

Participant Quotes demonstrate impact. 

• Varshith Kotagiri, Gatton Academy of Math & Science: "ISEF and LRSEF were some of the most enjoyable competitions I've ever participated in. I was able to learn about a wide variety of projects from students my own age, which really opened my eyes to different areas of research. What made ISEF especially memorable was spending it with my Team Kentucky teammates - it led to friendships I wouldn't have made otherwise. I'd definitely recommend these competitions to other students because they're genuinely fun & such a great learning experience."
• Aniket Tadinada, North Oldham High School: "I had a great experience at both LRSEF & ISEF, and I was able to meet a lot of like-minded people, while also exposing myself to completely new perspectives. One moment that stuck with me was talking to a finalist whose project focused on water access in rural Kenya because it reminded me how broad & impactful science can be."
• View another student's story here.

We appreciate your gift. 

A gift of $25 rewards Kentucky student achievement in the STEAM fields. Donors of $500 or more are recognized in all LRSEF media & our printed program with your organization logo. 

Fund prizes in a specific Junior Category ($150) or Senior Category ($200).  Check out last year’s Category Donors, choose a category to fund.

LRSEF also invites companies & organizations to donate Special Awards of $25 or more. Prizes can be for research in a certain topic area, such as plant or animal science, environmental projects, or proposing best solutions to an engineering problem. See our Special Awards for ideas, then create an award of your own design.

LRSEF connects to a global network of science & engineering fairs.

A gift of any amount helps local students present their ideas at higher levels, share ideas with their peers & receive international recognition. LRSEF nominates over 90 winners for the Kentucky State Science & Engineering Fair held each year at Eastern Kentucky State University.   

Top middle schoolers are nominated to submit projects to the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge with a chance to win to trip to Washington, DC. 

LRSEF is affiliated with the Society for Science and sends the Best of Fair high school students to the weeklong Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) each year. Two LRSEF students attending the 2025 ISEF competition took home awards ranging from $500 - $5,000.  In 2026 ISEF will be held in Phoenix, Arizona.  Your donation supports travel grants to this prestigious annual event, which hosts almost 2,000 students from around the world.

LRSEF is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with a long history. 

We will host our 62nd science & engineering fair on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Students from 59 KY counties are invited to register through their school fairs, or directly with LRSEF by mid-February. Over $14,000 in awards, trophies, & prizes are awarded for student creativity on that day. 

LRSEF is a proud partner of the Asia Impact affinity group at GE Appliances & of the Science Policy Outreach Group at the University of Louisville. The JB Speed Engineering School at the University of Louisville is our co-sponsor on March 7. 

Since our first fair supported by Kiwanis in 1964, many volunteer hours have been donated by STEAM judges, community leaders, teachers, & parents in support of student efforts.  

2025 Board MembersTop three Middle Schools 2025 

First Place HS       

View our Sponsors here.