Even though basketball season is over, Ames residents won’t have to wait until next year to see young students working hard in Hilton Coliseum.

Today and Saturday, Iowa State will be hosting the Iowa State Science and Technology Fair, bringing together young scientists from across the state to compete for prizes and scholarships.

Andrea Spencer, the fair’s director, said students will bring in projects that span all areas of science, from math and engineering to botany, which they have been working on diligently since last fall.

“The science fair is a way to showcase students that have an interest in science. [They will] bring their projects and compete academically,” Spencer said. “The top students will go on to Detroit to present at the International Science and Engineering Fair.”

She said the age groups of the participants range from seventh grade up to high-school level, and visitors this year will see 349 projects from 415 students.

The students’ exhibits will be displayed on the Hilton floor today from 12:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Spencer said the projects that visitors can expect to see include “French Fries: Are We Getting Enough?,” as well as projects about caffeine use, the dangers of cigarette smoking and a math project concerning optimal orbit trajectories.

Awards will be given by the Iowa Energy Center, the Iowa Space Grant Consortium and many other organizations, she said. Spencer said there is a junior scientist award for the top 10 percent of junior high projects, a math award and the ISU Horticulture Club will be giving out plants for the top botany projects.

Spencer said the event is beneficial for Iowa’s students in many ways.

“They get to improve upon speaking skills. They get to interact with professors and people who are out there as scientists in their own profession. It’s kind of a big forum to meet with lots of students their own age that enjoy science, too,” she said.

Breck Breitsprecher, program assistant for University Conference Services, said the science fair is a great benefit to the ISU community.

“It’s a great place to showcase Iowa State,” Breitsprecher said. “What more appropriate place than for a school for technology to hold the fair? I think it’s an appropriate relationship.