My DS14 participated in this year's Intel ISEF, and I have to say it was a fabulous, life-changing event for him. The prize money won was great, the science celebs he got to meet were impressive, and the chance to present his research made him feel really proud of himself, but by far what he'll remember most about the weekend is the huge group of kids he met from all over the world. They went to (age-appropriate and supervised) parties, traded pins, played games, hung-out, and learned so much from each other. The opportunity to share his passion with others who "get it" was priceless. Despite differences in culture, politics, and other stuff, their mutual love of science truly made it seem like a big family reunion. The kids who win the big money prizes are truly astounding and so very deserving (I didn't even understand most of their projects), but even for those who compete for the smaller awards, or who go just for the experience, will walk away having had the time of their lives.
