Thousands of students, backed by millions of dollars are preparing for the hottest ticket in Silicon Valley this spring: Science Fairs

Wanted: 1,000 people with doctorates or medical degrees. Extensive experience in science, engineering or technology may be substituted.

Looks like a recruiting ad for a high-tech job fair – until you get to the bit about the pay, which is zilch.

Those who answer this call will scrutinize lab experiments, not negotiate salary packages. Selected applicants will help judge 1,200 science projects by some of the world's brightest high school students competing for more than $3 million in scholarships and awards, when the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair comes to San Jose.

The 40-year-old Santa Clara Science Fair got a big boost last year from the newly created Synopsys Outreach Foundation, which is trying to get more local students interested in math or science.The result was a 400 percent jump in particpation.

Students and teachers are now gearing up for next year's fair to be held March 17 in San Jose. It will be followed by the Intel Corporation-sponsored International Science and Engineering Fair.

The Synopsys Outreach Foundation has been selected by the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce to receive a Leadership Excellence Award in the category of Outstanding Education Initiative. We are delighted to share this significant community recognition with our friends at Intel.

The award will be presented at the Legends and Leaders Event at the San Jose Arena on Thursday, September 21. The featured speaker is John Glenn, former U.S. Senator and Astronaut. Over 1000 community and business leaders will attend "Legends & Leaders." In addition, over 1500 high school and college students will be invited to hear John Glenn's presentation.

ANNIVERSARY WALTZ: Next up on the big party circuit: Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), the semiconductor industry trade association, which plans to celebrate its 30th anniversary July 12 with a fundraising celebration in Moffett Field's main hangar. Gen. Colin Powell is slated to be the featured speaker, with entertainment by Dana Carvey and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. "If all goes well", says SEMI President Stan Myers, "the gala will raise $1 million for five charities: Workforce Silicon Valley, the Synopsys Outreach Foundation, the Jose Valdes Summer Math Institute, Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education and the CHARITech Civic Venture Fund."

That contribution would put SEMI's gala right up there with the Silicon Valley Charity Ball, the Cattle Baron's Ball and the Exploratorium's annual awards dinner as events bringing in $1 mil in one night.