The annual Academic Festival is an opportunity for students to share their research and findings with the community.

This exciting event displays academic highlights that were researched, developed, and created throughout the 2022-2023 school year to the campus community, Penn State families, and the public.  

Individual and group projects can cover a wide range of topics and can be shared as an informational exhibit, a research-based poster, an oral presentation, or a performance. The organizing committee welcomes all forms of academic or creative accomplishments including works of poetry, writing, artwork, and dance.

Prizes will be awarded in each category.  Additional awards will be presented for University Libraries’ Information Literacy, and Sustainability (see Special Awards below for more details.)

Reasons to Participate

  • Share your work with the campus and surrounding community
  • Have fun while gaining valuable experience
  • Develop connections with faculty and staff
  • Contribute to your professional development
  •  Enhance your resume for employment and/or graduate school
  • Win prizes

Important Dates

The deadline for submitting project proposals for the 2023 festival is March 17, 2023. 

Project proposals will be reviewed in late March and students will receive further details by early April. Final project files must be submitted by Friday, April 14, 2023 (one full week before the event) to allow time for uploading and creating the compilation in ScholarSphere. 

The project proposal application is at the bottom of this page. Before submitting your proposal, please be sure to review all project guidelines and judging criteria.   

Guidelines and Judging Criteria

The Academic Festival provides four project categories for you to submit and display your work. Click on each category below to learn about the recommendations, guidelines, and suggestions for submitting projects.  Prizes will be awarded in each category. 

As part of the project proposal, you will be asked to choose between a wall display or a tabletop display for your work. Below are photo examples of each. 
 

Female students standing by a poster displayed on a wall.

This is an example of a wall display during the Academic Festival. 

Credit: Penn State
One male and two female students standing by a tri-panel research poster on a table.

This is an example of a tabletop display at the Academic Festival. 

Credit: Penn State

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Special Awards

2023 Academic Festival Project Proposal

Project proposals are due March 17, 2023. 

Please provide your name as you want it to be listed in the program.
(In the event local newspapers might like to interview you)
Please provide names as your group members want them to be listed in the program.
The project title can be updated later if necessary.
Abstracts can be updated and may appear in the event program.
Which United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) best apply to your project?
Answering this question automatically qualifies your project to be considered for the Sustainability Award. Please choose all that apply. United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals can be found here: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
Which best describes the format of your presentation?
Note that you may not present the same project in more than one format, but you may present multiple projects with different topics. Your mentor can help you determine the appropriate format.
A research-based project will focus on answering a specific question. Examples: Evaluating existing literature and drawing your own conclusions from the data; developing a hypothesis and testing it; etc.
An informational exhibit focuses on sharing existing information. Examples: Demonstrating equipment, tools, or procedures used for specific purposes in various occupations; creating a visual display on a topic of interest to you (person, place, historical event, etc.)
Which type of space do you prefer? Please choose an option that will best suit your finished project.
Tri-fold display and/or other material.
For a flat, vertical display.
For a presentation or performance.
You must notify your faculty mentor and an Academic Festival organizer if you change your space preference(s).
This includes requests for additional space, electrical outlets, etc. If these requests are not made prior to the event, the equipment or support you need may not be available on the day of the event.