Hundreds of Iowa middle and high school students will enter Hilton Coliseum on Friday hoping to take home a share of more than $40,000 in awards and scholarships for their science exhibits.

Friday marks the beginning of the 48th annual State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa, said Andrea Spencer, fair director.

According to the fair’s Web site, it is recognized as one of the outstanding science fairs in the nation.

This year, 444 students have created projects to solve observed problems using the scientific method.

Students introduce their exhibits to a panel of judges who present numerous awards and scholarships.

Entries will be evaluated on creative ability, scientific thought, thoroughness, technical skill and clarity.

“It’s what science is all about really — coming up with a problem and figuring out a way to address it,” said Jeff Staker, science teacher at Roland-Story Middle School.

All eighth-grade students at Roland-Story are required to create a project that could be judged in the fair.

Faculty members choose 10 to 12 students to go to the state level based on how creative and relevant their project is and how well they used the scientific method, Staker said.

Taking part in the fair offers many benefits for students, Spencer said — they use problem-solving skills, communication skills, social skills and organizational skills.

“I think they get more out of this than anything else during the school year,” Staker said.

Presenting their projects causes the students anxiety, but when it is over, it is often the part of the event they enjoyed the most, Staker said. They also like to see their work compared to others, he said.

In addition to providing students with a good learning experience, the fair helps promote Iowa State to students who will soon be making college choices. Iowa State is one of the primary sponsors for the event.

Loren Zachary, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, said Iowa State is a prime location to hold the event because it is a science and technology school.

“I’m sure it helps out in recruitment,” Zachary said. “If we can get students on our campus, it really helps.”

In addition to the competitive portion of the fair, there will be educational workshops for people to enjoy.

There will also be a performance by Iowa State’s Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Majors, Spencer said.

The event will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Hilton Coliseum. Admission to the event is free.