Judges & Volunteers Needed for Science Fest

A judge reviews a student's science project at the 2013 Austin Energy Regional Science Festival

The Austin Energy Regional Science Festival will take place Wednesday, Feb 19 through Saturday, Feb 22, 2014 at the Palmer Events Center. We are looking for judges who can evaluate Elementary, Middle (Junior Division) and High School (Senior Division) projects, as well as volunteers who can help with registration, assist during judging or help check in projects. If you are interested in participating, please register on our website at http://www.sciencefest.org/volunteer/index.php

Junior and Senior Division Judging, Thursday Feb 20, 2014:

Students submit their projects in one of 17 science categories scientific categories,  covering both Life and Physical Sciences as well as Math and Engineering. Judging is competitive and we need subject matter experts to evaluate the projects.  Links to the abstracts will be made available the week-end prior to the fair.

Judging Qualifications:

Junior Division: Undergraduate (3rd year and above) and graduate students, as well as  people with either a degree or 3 years of experience in the applicable science category

Senior Division: Graduate students, people with either a degree or 5 years of experience in the applicable science category.

Elementary Division Judging, Saturday, Feb 22, 2014:

Each project will be evaluated on its own merit and receive either a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place ribbon. 

Judging Qualifications: Adults with a good general education and the ability to talk to young children

Volunteers are also needed Wednesday, Feb 19, to Saturday, Feb 22, 2014

For more information, please contact ingrid.weigand@austinscience.org

Thank you for your interest in the annual Austin Energy Regional Science Festival!

Austin Energy Crews to Help Restore Power To North Texas Area Hit By Ice and Snow

Photo: Fallen trees such as this one in Plano were responsible for many of the area's recent outages.
Credit: Kevin Krause/Staff writer, dallasnews.com

About 20 Austin Energy linemen and two Austin Energy contract crews from Pike will leave Saturday, December 7, for North Texas to assist in restoring area electric service. More than 250,000 customers experienced power outages there today due to an ice storm.

Austin Energy crews will work in the Plano area served by Oncor. Utilities maintain mutual assistance agreements to help each other duringemergencies, if available. The utilities requesting assistance pay for the costs incurred by responding utilities and contractors.

Austin Energy crews have assisted utilities in the past in other areas of Texas and in nearby states such as Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.