Accelerator Mentorship
What is the Science Fair Accelerator
The Accelerator program is designed for young scientists who are looking for extra guidance to improve the quality of their science project and elevate their overall performance at their next science fair. Developed by a Canada-Wide Science Fair judge, the Accelerator is based on the judging rubric and expectations from the national science fair judging process. Many of the lessons taught during the 6-week Accelerator program will go beyond what students learn in school. To help them understand these lessons and to help them apply these new concepts to their projects, they’ll need help from their mentor.
What We’re Looking For in Mentors
Above all, your role as a mentor will be to support your youth mentee, reinforce their passion for science, and encourage them to pursue sound, safe, and exciting scientific discovery and exploration. Through questions and gentle guidance, you’ll help your mentee troubleshoot different aspects of their project and more fully understand foundational scientific principles and methods. This greater understanding will help them develop a stronger science project for upcoming competitions, but also provide the groundwork for a fulfilling career in STEM.
Qualifications:
- A background in science (by education, profession, or practice)
- Experience judging at the regional science fair level (required)
- Experience judging at the national level (an asset)
- A valid Criminal Record Check: Vulnerable Sector (required)
- Residents of British Columbia can request their CRC for free through Science Fair Foundation BC
What You Can Expect
In addition to an orientation session before the Accelerator begins, mentors will be given a weekly summary of the lessons, activities, and major themes we explore during the live class. You’ll receive an outline of the types of reflections you may receive from your mentee (“exit tickets”), how it relates to that week’s lesson and/or how it builds on overarching themes, and suggestions for how you could respond to expand your mentee’s understanding of the topic. You’ll also receive suggested questions and prompts to help reinforce the lessons your mentee learned during the live session, and suggestions for how to support your mentee if they book a one-on-one meeting with you.
Mentorship Structure:
Exit Tickets: At the end of each week’s lesson, students will be asked to answer “exit tickets” — questions that confirm they understand what we talked about during the lesson and how they can apply it to their project. Their answers will be sent to you by email. We ask that you respond within 72 hours with clarifying questions, additional guidance, or suggestions.
One-on-One Mentorship: Each mentee is allowed up to five 30-minute, one-on-one meetings with their mentor throughout the 6-week Accelerator program. We ask that you provide to the Accelerator facilitation team a minimum of three 30-minute time slots each week when you’ll be available for a meeting. Time slots should not be during school hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm). Your mentee will book time with you through our electronic system. If you do not have a video conference account (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), Science Fair Foundation BC can provide one.
Email Support: Mentees are allowed to email their mentor with specific questions throughout the Accelerator course. We ask that you respond to their emails within 72 hours. The Accelerator facilitation team has set restrictions around how often mentees can email their mentors so as not to overwhelm you, and will provide reminders during the program to emphasize respect for your time.
Important Dates
| Mentor Applications Open | July 1, 2026 |
| Application Deadline | August 31, 2026 |
| Accepted Mentors Notified | September 21, 2026 |
| Mentor Orientation | October, 2026 |
| First Week of the Program | October 19, 2026 |
| Last Week of the Program | November 23, 2026 |
Dates are subject to change. Email us at info@sciencefairs.ca for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need judging experience at the national science fair level, but we do require judging experience at the regional science fair level. The Accelerator teaches lessons based on an established judging rubric and process. Having experience with that process will ensure you’re best equipped to support your mentee in understanding and applying lessons to the specific science fair ecosystem.
We are estimating a time commitment of, on average, 1-2 hours per week for each student you mentor. This includes reviewing written submissions, responding to emails, and one 30-minute meeting per week.
We’re grateful for the tremendous community support we receive from science and industry leaders for our programs but we are accepting a limited number of youth for the 2026 Accelerator cohort so we’ll only need a limited number of mentors (up to ten). If we have more mentor applicants than needed, we encourage you to apply again for our next cohort or sign up to be a mentor for our Science Club.
While we provide support and resources for students at each weekly session, some students may need more help outside of the virtual sessions. Some students may also request to schedule all of their mentorship meetings for the same one or two weeks of the program. Depending on your availability, we recommend signing up to mentor one student for the Accelerator.
Applications will open in July, 2026. Check back for updates!