The eXceL Awards state finals will be held Saturday, March 14, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center on the University of Indianapolis campus. The finalists in each of the six categories will be required to attend the state finals in Indianapolis and respond to judges’ questions about their work and the topic.

Exceptions will be rare, and it is suggested that a student that will not be able to attend the finals work with a partner who can attend. These exceptions are infrequently allowed in the event of a conflict with certain (but not all) school-sponsored activities. Because the answers to the judges’ questions are important to the judging process, finalists who are excused should be aware that the likelihood of winning a scholarship is substantially decreased, even though their work will still be shown to the judges. In the event that a student chooses not to attend the state finals for an unexcused reason, his or her entry will be withdrawn from the competition and another student’s entry will be substituted, if appropriate.

The panel of judges will consist of highly regarded professionals representing each of the six creative categories and at least one representative from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.