Overview

Managing student registrations is a core responsibility for regional fair coordinators. This article explains how to find your registration link, monitor incoming registrations, review projects, communicate with participants, and manage the approval process through the YSC Portal.

Finding Your Student Registration Link

Before students can register, you need to locate and share your fair's unique registration link:

1. Go to Assets in the left sidebar
2. Select Events Manager
3. Find your current event in the list and click the eye (view) icon
4. Scroll down to the "Registration Links" section
5. Copy the "Student Registration Link" (there will be both English and French links if your fair is set up as bilingual)

This link should be shared on your regional fair website, in emails to schools, and in promotional materials. Each regional fair has a unique registration link, so be sure to use the correct one for your event.

If you are using a YSC-provided regional STEM fair website, this link should be added to the Region Options page in the admin dashboard. It will automatically create a Register button on your registration page.

Monitoring Registration Progress

As students register for your fair, you can track their progress:

Viewing All Registrations

1. Go to Assets in the left sidebar
2. Select Users
3. Use the filter icon to select:
   • Your event name
   • User Type: "Regional Fair Participants"
   • Status: "All" (or select specific statuses like "Complete" or "Incomplete")
4. Click Apply Filter

This view shows all students who have started the registration process.

Checking Registration Status

The "Status" column indicates where each student is in the registration process:

• Incomplete: Student has begun registration but hasn't completed all required sections
• Complete: Student has filled out all required information but hasn't submitted their registration
• Submitted: Student has submitted their registration for review
• Confirmed: Registration has been reviewed and accepted by the coordinator

Monitoring Project Submissions

To view submitted projects:

1. Go to Assets in the left sidebar
2. Select Projects
3. Review the "Status" column to see where each project stands:
   • Draft: Project has been started but not submitted
   • Region Submitted: Project has been submitted to your region but not yet accepted
   • Region Confirmed: Project has been accepted into your fair

Reviewing and Approving Projects

After students submit their projects, you'll need to review and approve them for your fair:

Reviewing Project Information

1. Go to Assets → Projects
2. Click on the project title to view the full project details
3. If the project uses ProjectBoard, you can click the project title to access the ProjectBoard project directly
4. Review the project for completeness and appropriateness

Safety and Ethics Review

1. Select the project(s) you want to review
2. From the Choose an option dropdown, select Set Project Review Status
3. Choose the appropriate status:
   • Not Reviewed: Default status for new submissions
   • Concern: Project requires additional information or modifications
   • Pass: Project meets all safety and ethics requirements
   • Fail: Project violates safety and ethics guidelines and cannot proceed
4. Click the blue action arrow to update the status

Accepting Projects into Your Fair

Once projects have passed review:

1. Select the project(s) you want to accept
2. From the Choose an option dropdown, select Add to Regional Fair
3. Select your event from the dropdown menu
4. Click the blue action arrow

The project status will change to "Region Confirmed," and the project will now appear in your fair's project list.

Communicating with Students

The YSC Portal doesn't include a built-in messaging system, but you can efficiently communicate with students using the exported data:

Exporting Student Contact Information

1. Go to Assets → Users
2. Filter for your event and "Regional Fair Participants"
3. Select the students you want to contact
4. From the Choose an option dropdown, select Export Users
5. Check "General Contact Information"
6. Click the blue action arrow

This creates an Excel file with student names, email addresses, and other contact details.

Communication Best Practices

• Welcome Email: Send a confirmation email once you've accepted a project
• Status Updates: Provide regular updates on fair preparations
• Reminder Messages: Send reminders about key deadlines and requirements
• Incomplete Registrations: Reach out to students with incomplete registrations before the deadline

Managing Registration Challenges

Incomplete Registrations

For students who have started but not completed registration:

1. Export their contact information as described above
2. Send a reminder email outlining the remaining steps needed
3. Include the registration link and deadline information

Project Concerns

If a project has safety or ethics concerns:

1. Set the project review status to "Concern"
2. Contact the student with specific feedback about what needs to be addressed
3. Provide a deadline for making the necessary changes
4. Re-review the project after the student makes adjustments

Project Teams

If students are working in teams:

1. Each team member must register individually
2. The first team member registers the project
3. The system provides a unique code that team members can use to join the existing project
4. Verify that all team members have completed registration

Managing Registration Timeline

Effective management of the registration process includes:

Before Registration Opens

• Test the registration link to ensure it works properly
• Prepare clear instructions for students and share with schools
• Set up any custom survey questions

During Registration Period

• Monitor registration progress weekly
• Send reminders to schools with low participation
• Address incomplete registrations promptly
• Begin safety and ethics reviews as projects are submitted

After Registration Closes

• Complete all project reviews
• Accept approved projects into your fair
• Export final participant lists for creating name badges, certificates, etc.
• Communicate final instructions to all participants

Exporting Registration Data for Fair Management

To create comprehensive reports for your committee:

1. Go to Assets → Users
2. Filter for your event and "Regional Fair Participants" with "Complete" or "Submitted" status
3. Select all matching users
4. From the Choose an option dropdown, select Export Users
5. Check all relevant information:
   • General Contact Information
   • School Information
   • Survey Responses
   • Survey Documents (if applicable)
6. Click the blue action arrow

This creates a comprehensive spreadsheet with all registration data for your fair planning.

Next Steps After Registration

Once you've completed the registration management process:

1. Finalize your project count and categories
2. Assign project numbers and locations
3. Create judging groups and schedules
4. Communicate final details to participants

For information on these subsequent steps, refer to the relevant articles in the Help Centre.