CLARION, Pa. — Over a hundred students participated in the Riverview IU6 STEM Design Challenge at the Clarion YMCA on Thursday, April 4.
(Pictured above: Brookville’s Team R.I.D.P.C.)
The students were from A-C Valley, Brookville, Clarion, Clarion-Limestone, Cranberry, Oil City, North Clarion, Redbank Valley, and Union school districts.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to encourage students to apply critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills across all of their content areas.
The STEM Design Challenge is sponsored statewide by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The challenge involves keeping a design notebook, developing a blueprint, using K’nex pieces to build the project, and presenting to judges.
This year’s challenge involved using K’nex pieces (interlocking plastic rods and connectors) to design a “high-tech farming” equipment to help our Pennsylvania farmers.
During the competition, each team had two hours to build their project from their blueprints—no pieces could be brought to the competition. Each team also shared a two-minute presentation to explain how their project met the requirements of the challenge.
After the students completed their competition tasks, they participated in team building games with Annah Burke from Penn State Extension and an agriculture watershed activity with Hannah Bequeath from Clarion Conservation District. They also had an opportunity to participate in a peer review of other projects.
The first-place team from each grade level division will represent Riverview IU6 and their district at the state competition to be held at Harrisburg University in May.
WINNERS 4th-5th Grade Division:
- 1st Place: Diverse Duo, Cranberry Elementary – Colt Morrow and Emmie Rice (Advisor Gayle Mitchell)
- 2nd Place: EcoGuardians, Oil City, 7th Street Elementary – Will Kauffman, Aarington Manson, and Leila Huber (Advisor Stephanie Staub)
- 3rd Place: The Exterminators, Redbank Valley – Conner Schultz, Jaxson Blose and Brynlee Alexander (Advisor Jill Boyles)
- Design: Hasson Kids, Oil City SD, Hasson Elementary – Quinn Campbell, Mya Hutchinson (Advisor Sarah Seaton)
- Blueprint: De Trio, Cranberry Elementary- Leona Braun, Matthew Wilson, Andrew DeVries (Advisor Gayle Mitchell)
- Challenge Success: Smart Eggs, AC Valley- Elista Ritchey, Joslyn Ritchey, Callie Lutz (Advisor Jessica Nimelli)
- Creativity: Dream Designers, Clarion Area – J’Lynn Jones, Olivia McCormick, Drake Bell, Piper Hoover (Advisor Christin McNeil)
- Presentation: The Common Farmer, Oil City SD, 7th Street Elementary – Sienna Tenney and Violet Shirey (Advisor Stephanie Staub)
WINNERS 6th-8th Grade Division:
- 1st place: The Chemical Controllers, Redbank Valley – Sydnie Bowser, Gunnar Kiehl, Ethan Minich, Maelle Hook, and Gunnar Kiehl (Advisor Kevin Watkins)
- 2nd Place: The Goat Inspectors, Redbank Valley – Dalton Traister, Kaylee Boozer, Emma Cravener, Aubrie Scovel(Advisor Kevin Watkins)
- 3rd Place: The Four O’s, Redbank Valley – Connor Moore, Caden Schultz, Hazel Coil, Connor Moore, and Avery Cravener(Advisor Kevin Watkins)
- Blueprint: The Farming Four, Redbank Valley – Brylie Kaza, Adelynn Songer, Cora Sturgeon and Ava Alwine (Advisor Kevin Watkins)
- Design: The Egg-cellent Team, North Clarion – Sam Smail, Ethan Hastings, and Jacob Cyphert (Advisor Raquel McFarland)
- Presentation: R.I.D.P.C., Brookville – Andrew Pospisil, Connor Lewis, Patric Neill, RJ Rhines (Advisor Mickey Truman)
- Creativity: Manure Mushers, AC Valley – Isabelle Griebel, Madelyn Fleming, Lillie Drody (Advisor Jessica Nimelli)
- Teamwork: Over Easy Flyers, Cranberry – Dean Snyder, Callen Scarbrough, Sam Moon, Linkin Carson (Advisor Gayle Mitchell)
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