page_title: Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science
section_title: Pin & Bars
hierarchical_section_title: Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science / Pin & Bars
caption_attribution_description: English: Liam Chambers' PJAS bars after his 5 years of participation in PJAS from 8th-12th grade.
context_page_description: Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science is a statewide organization in Pennsylvania founded in 1934. The organization is open to all students of participating schools in grades 7 through 12. Students can participate in both a regional meet as well as a state meet at Penn State University. 1st Award winners from their regional meets are invited to compete at the state meet where they are given the opportunity present their projects again to win a wide range of awards like $8,000 Penn State scholarships, and other special awards.
context_section_description: The PJAS pin and bars are unique to the organization. Students earn bar(s) for each competition (except for honorable mention) that are colored to reflect performance. Students can earn bars at each regional meet and each state meet they present a project and connect them together to form a chain or history of their performance. The bar attached to the pin is the oldest project and the newest project is at the bottom. Returning members of PJAS like to wear their pins and bar while presenting during meets.
  Depending on the student and his/her projects, it is possible for students to earn more than the 10 bars that could be earned if the student participated for all five years. Students earning a First Award Perfect Score earn two pins - one for their first award and a second for their perfect score. Therefore, it is theoretically possible for a student who competes in all 12 competitions to earn a maximum of 24 bars if the student earns a perfect score at every meet for all six years.
  In the example pin and bar on the right, it can be seen that the student's first project earned a 1st Award at his Regional Meet and a 2nd Award at the State Meet. In his second year, he earned a 1st at Regionals and 1st Award Perfect Score at States. Then, a 1st award at both the Regional and State Meets in his third year, followed by a 1st Award Perfect Score at his fourth Regional Meet and a 1st Award at the State Meet. In his fifth and final year as a presenter, he earned 1st Award Perfect Scores at both the Regional and State Meets for that particular project.
caption: An example PJAS Pin and Bars from a senior in 2014. Photo taken by Liam Chambers
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