Jamboree/Handbook

Location

The 2013 High School Jamboree will be held in the Stata Center and Walker Memorial Building in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The addresses are:

Questions and information

If you have a question or need help at any point during the Jamboree, you can visit the iGEM Headquarters (HQ) desk in the ballroom in Walker, or look for one of the iGEM staff members on site.

For all relevant locations during the Jamboree, consult the map in your registration packet.

iGEM on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter (@igem) throughout the Jamboree! We’ll be tweeting news, updates, and answering questions as well. The official hashtag for the High School Jamboree is #iGEM2013HSJamboree.

Virtual Participants

Virtual participants will be giving presentations and presenting posters. Virtual participants should have at least one Skype account for their team. Your Skype account name should be emailed to kitwa (AT) igem.org by June 26. A physical copy of the poster should arrive at iGEM Headquarters by June 24, and a digital copy should be uploaded to the iGEM Dropbox account. A pre-recorded presentation should also be uploaded to the iGEM Dropbox account by June 26.

Please review the schedule to see your presentation time. Your pre-recorded presentation will be played for the audience, and then there will be a 5 minute period for the audience to ask questions about your project. Be sure to log into your Skype account 10 minutes before the start of your presentation time! Remain logged into your Skype account during your presentation, and then use Skype to answer questions from the audience.

During the poster session, posters sent physically to iGEM HQ will be displayed in the ballroom in Walker for the judges and on-site Jamboree participants to view. During the poster reception, computers will also be set up in the cafeteria to allow Jamboree attendees to interact with the virtual attendees and ask questions about their posters.

Internet Access

Wireless internet is available throughout campus. Search for the “MIT-Guest” network, which does not require a password.

Registration and Check-In

Teams can check-in on Saturday morning (June 29th) beginning at 8:00AM for the Jamboree. Registration will be located in the Beaver Room inside Walker, at the iGEM HQ desk, before the Jamboree begins. After the Jamboree begins at 9:00AM, registration will be inside the ballroom in Walker. Please refer to the map of Walker.

At Registration you will pick up your team box containing team member badges, participation certificates, registration packets, lunch tickets, and other important and useful information. Badges must be worn at all times, and will be necessary for entrance into presentation rooms, events, and for access to food.

Guests can check-in on Saturday (June 29th) at 8:00AM, also in the Beaver Room in Walker. If you did not register online, it will be possible to register on-site during the course of the Jamboree.

Note: All attendees must be registered.

Badges

You will receive your name badge as part of your team box. Please wear your badge at all times during the Jamboree and make sure it is clearly visible. Badges will be necessary for entrance into all Jamboree events, including presentation rooms, meals, and the awards banquet. If you do not have a badge, you must register in order to obtain one.

Team Boxes

Your team boxes will contain the following:

Note: Badges are to be worn at all times.

Participation Certificates

Thank you for all your hard work! Each team will receive personalized participation certificates for team members on their finalized team roster. These participation certificates are included in your team packet.

Virtual teams: your participation certificates will be mailed to you following the Jamboree.

Survey

As part of iGEM HQ’s ongoing effort to make each event better than the last, surveys have been enclosed in each team packet for team members to complete! Please bring the completed forms back to the information table.

Virtual participants: the same survey has been emailed to you, and the link posted on the 2013 High School wiki main page. Please take a moment to complete this! Your feedback will be a huge help as we improve and expand the High School Division!

Team Spirit

At the High School Jamboree you will be representing your team, school, and country, so why not show off! Designing team t-shirts is always a good idea, and here at iGEM HQ we encourage you to wear them. They also make for a great iGEM from Above photograph! Wear your school colors, your team's name, or give a nod to your team's sponsors. We also encourage you to find new ways to showcase your team spirit.

Friday Practice Sessions

Teams will be allowed to practice on Friday night (June 28th) at Stata Center, beginning at 6:00PM. You can practice your presentation, and get to know fellow iGEM members. There are a limited number of rooms available, so please sign up online to reserve a room and time slot. Practice sessions will run from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. We cannot match the practice room with your actual presentation room. Remember, other teams will be practicing as well, so be sure to leave your practice room on time! Please leave all presentation rooms in the condition that you found them.

Note: There will not be technical staff on hand to help with audio/visual equipment.

Opening remarks

The Saturday Opening Remarks will officially kick off the 2013 High School Jamboree! The Opening remarks will be held in Stata Center room 32-123 at 9:00AM on June 29th, with registration and breakfast starting at 8:00AM in Walker.

iGEM Hub

We have established a main hub in the ballroom inside Walker. The ballroom will have posters, as well as food (breakfast, lunch, breaks, dinner). The iGEM HQ table will be located here also. There will be three presentation rooms in Stata Center. Check your team packet for information on where you should set up your poster, and present. See the map for specific locations.

Meals

Food will be provided throughout the Jamboree. All meals, including breaks, will be served in the ballroom inside Walker. Badges must be visible in order to have access to all food.

Posters

Each High School team is required to present a poster at the Jamboree. There will be one formal poster reception at 3:00PM for all teams to present their posters to Jamboree attendees. Please see the poster information sheet, in your team packet, for your team's specific poster location. Remember to have a team member stationed at your poster in case anyone has questions.

The poster must be no larger than 48 x 48 in (1.22m x 1.22m, A0 size is 0.88 x 1.19). Each team may only put up ONE poster. Teams should have their posters set up by 9:00AM on Saturday.

Poster judges will be roaming throughout the day on Saturday. The formal poster reception will be held at 3:15PM but teams can leave their posters up throughout the day. All posters must be taken down by 7:30PM on Saturday evening. Any remaining posters will not be saved.

Virtual participants: The posters that were sent to iGEM HQ will be on display in the ballroom in Walker. During the poster reception, there will be computers for Jamboree attendees to interact with the virtual attendees. Remember to have a team member in Skype to answer any questions about the poster. Questions will be asked and answered via Skype.

Presentations

There are three presentation rooms located in Stata Center. Your team’s scheduled presentation time slot, session, and room have all been randomly assigned. Please see your schedule for information on when and where your team will be presenting. Presentations will be video recorded and later uploaded, so others can get an idea of what iGEM and the Jamboree is like!

Presentations will take place throughout the day. The schedule for presentations is divided into sessions based on track. If you are attending a presentation, please be courteous, stay for the whole session, and only leave the room during the scheduled breaks.

Each team has 20 minutes of presentation time, 5 minutes for questions and answers, and 5 minutes to switch with the next presenters. Please be sure to bring the necessary equipment for your presentation, such as your laptop, cables/adaptors, and power supply, as iGEM will not provide these.

Virtual participants: your pre-recorded presentations will be played in lieu of a live presentation. After the presentation is over, audience members will have a chance to ask questions via Skype. Please be on Skype 10 minutes before your assigned presentation time and remain logged into the program during your presentation. The question and answer session will begin immediately after the presentation is over.

Submit your posters and presentations

In an effort to capture all of the hard work that teams have put into their iGEM projects, we ask that each team give us a copy of your presentation and a copy of your poster.

To submit your files follow the instructions below.

• Save your presentation and poster as a PDF file.
• Transfer the files to a USB key.
• Come to the iGEM HQ desk in Walker during one of the following times, and a staff member will transfer the files to an iGEM computer: Registration, Break, or Lunch

Please make sure to do this in the 10 minutes before the start of the session! (NOT before your presentation time)

iGEM from Above

After the presentations have completed, we will be taking the 2013 High School iGEM from Above picture! The picture will be taken in the amphitheater outside Stata Center (see map for location), weather permitting. Make sure to wear your iGEM team t-shirt! In the event of unaccommodating weather, we will take the picture inside Stata Center.

Finalist Presentations

Judges will announce the finalists at 4:30PM, who will then be asked to give their presentations again. Teams physically attending the Jamboree should be prepared to present, so be sure to bring the necessary materials with you. Virtual teams will have their presentation re-played for the audience, and will not be asked to give a live presentation.

After the finalists have given their presentations, the judges will deliberate.

Awards Banquet

The awards banquet will begin at 5:30PM with dinner in the ballroom inside Walker. After dinner has been served, the award winners will be announced at 6:30PM and the 2013 High School Jamboree will officially end!

Awards

Awards will be presented at the awards ceremony at 6:30PM. Each team that wins a trophy will receive one trophy for the team as well as an award certificate for the team. Certain awards are awarded as award certificates only.

Personalized award certificates for each team member will be mailed to the team after the Jamboree. These award certificates are separate from the participation certificates that all High School teams receive in their team box. Boxes for the trophies will be provided after the awards banquet at the iGEM HQ table (for safe travel!).

Social Event

After the awards banquet, Jamboree attendees are invited to a social event at the iGEM Headquarters office! There will be an ice cream sundae bar, and many opportunities to get to know the other teams and team members.

Guests, Family and Friends

Guests, including family and friends, are welcome to register for all iGEM Jamboree events. If guests want to attend any events, including the presentation sessions, poster session, and the awards ceremony, they have to officially register and get a badge (on-site registration is available).

Note: All High School Jamboree attendees must register.

Transportation and Parking

The campus is conveniently located near the Kendall Square subway (“T”) station on the Red Line. Both Stata Center and Walker Memorial Buildings are less than a 10 minute walk from the T station and Marriott hotel (refer to the map). The iGEM Headquarters office is also less than 10 minutes away from the subway station.

Additional information about the public transportation system in Boston, including the subway system, can be found online at the MBTA's website, http://www.mbta.com www.mbta.com.

For teams traveling to the Jamboree via personal vehicle, there is some metered street parking in the area, as well as ticketed parking lots around the campus.

Contact information

If you need to get in touch with anyone at iGEM Headquarters (HQ) for an urgent matter, you may contact the iGEM HQ office at +1-617-500-3106.

Emergency Information

If there is an emergency (medical emergency, fire, police, etc.) please contact security and let iGEM Headquarters know:

• From a cell phone, or campus phone: +1-617-253-1212