Sunday, February 11th - Tuesday, February 13th, 2024
Huntingdon, Pa.

Click here for more information and to register.

It gives us great pleasure to invite talented high school students and teachers from your school to participate in the 58th Annual Pennsylvania Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (PA-JSHS). The symposium will be held in Huntingdon from on Sunday, February 11th, through Tuesday, February 13th, 2024. The Pennsylvania Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium is a Department of Defense sponsored STEM program (U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force).

Pennsylvania Junior Science and Humanities

The deadline for student registrations is Monday, January 29th, 2024. Registrations received after that date may not be considered for participation in the symposium. We invite you to select outstanding science students who can attend the presentation sessions or present a paper. The paper presentation requires the student to prepare a written report describing original research results in science, mathematics, or engineering. The presentations will represent the finest efforts of high school students in the state toward either original laboratory or field research, or original work in mathematics or the humanistic aspects of science. All students wishing to present their research at PA-JSHS must submit their application with an abstract of their research paper and finalized paper by January 29th, 2024.

Scholarships Awarded

The student presenting the best research paper, as determined by a committee of judges, will receive a $2,000 undergraduate tuition scholarship. The second-place winner will receive a $1,500 undergraduate tuition scholarship, and the third-place winner will receive a $1,000 undergraduate tuition scholarship.

The National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

The first- and second-place winners will be invited to present their papers at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, where six first-place winners will receive $12,000, six second-place winners will receive $8,000, and six third-place winners will receive $4,000. In addition, two other top PA-JSHS presenters will be invited to attend the national symposium. Finalists in the national symposium will be invited to participate in an international symposium.

Teacher Participation

The planning committee of the 2024 symposium expresses the firm hope that local school officials will provide substitute teachers for those science teachers accompanying students to the symposium. School officials are reminded that federal flow-through monies that a district receives from the state can be used to support the costs associated with teacher attendance at PA-JSHS. Teachers should take note that they will be expected to transport their students to Juniata College in Huntingdon for the symposium and participate in ALL scheduled activities if they are the selected chaperone for the participating students.

All participants must be accompanied by an adult/teacher for the entirety of the symposium. Each school is to have one chaperone ONLY. Every attendee of the symposium MUST complete the online registration for food preparation and safety purposes.

Lodging and food expenses during the symposium will be covered by PA-JSHS for student presenters and chaperones. Students will room with one other student at the hotel to make new connections with peers. There will be no rooming of parents and students together. Accepted students to the symposium will have the opportunity to request a roommate by name.

Guests (parents, guardians, siblings, mentors, etc.) are welcome to attend. Lodging accommodations will be made by PA-JSHS for chaperones of student participants only (double occupancy hotel room with another chaperone). One chaperone per school. If a chaperone does not want to share a room with another chaperone, they must contact PA-JSHS directors for arrangements and details.

For all other guests attending, a block of rooms will be reserved at the local Comfort Inn and guests will need to make their own reservations by mentioning the event. The contact information for lodging is:

Comfort Inn
100 S 4th Street
Huntingdon, Pa. 16652
(about 1.3 miles from Juniata College)
814-643-1600

Note: There is a change to the Pennsylvania Regional JSHS event in relation to chaperones and guests due to budget restraints. Each school that is present at the symposium is to have one designated chaperone for all attending students. If more than one student is attending from the same school, there must be one designated chaperone attending (teacher, mentor, parent/guardian). The chaperone will have their food and lodging accommodations taken care of by the regional symposium. Lodging accommodations will be double occupancy with another chaperone. If a single room is preferred for a chaperone, they must contact PA-JSHS directors for arrangements and details.

Others (family, friends, teachers) are still welcome to attend, but the costs will not be covered by the regional symposium. If additional guests attend, they must make their own lodging accommodations, and must cover the cost of their own meals while here ($85 for all symposium meals). All guests must register, as the regional symposium must be aware of their attendance for food preparation and safety reasons.

Links:

For inquiries about the event contact the PA-JSHS Program Director Dr. David B. Klindienst at dbklindienst@gmail.com.