Students show STEM skills
Wilson, Exeter win 1st and 2nd places
As the 30-minute timer began to tick, the students went to work.
One drummed on the table and eagerly exclaimed “Go ahead, go ahead” as his teammate flipped a paper to reveal a list of instructions. About half of the seven teams — each made up of three to five high school students — began discussing plans and sketching them. The others started building, cutting cardboard and sticking toothpicks through marshmallows.
Their goal? Create a structure that could withstand a simulated earthquake.
The project was part of the annual Governor’s STEM Competition at the Berks County Intermediate Unit, an event where students test their skills in math, science and engineering.
The main part of the contest, held earlier in the day, saw the teams present projects they have spent months creating to a team
of judges from local business and industry. This year, those projects had to follow the theme “Improving Pennsylvania through STEM.”
The five-person team from Wilson High School took home the day’s crown with a project that tracks how much carbon emissions are saved by riding a bike instead of driving a car. With their win, the Wilson team earned the chance to compete at a state-level competition in May.
The kids from Wilson said the idea for their project was two-fold. It addresses both air pollution and obesity.
“The project attacks both at the same time,” Sanchita Bhusari, a junior, said.
Members of the Wilson team said they really enjoyed coming together to create something for the competition, using each team member’s skills and interests to make a cohesive product.
“We have people from different backgrounds, with different interests, melding together,” McCord Peterson, a junior, said.
The students also said they appreciated a chance to do some hands-on work.
“It gives us an opportunity to apply what we learn in the classroom,” Bhusari said.
Other teams to take part in Thursday’s contest were Reading, Boyertown, Exeter and Wyomissing. Exeter placed second and Conrad Weiser came in third.
Other teams shared that feeling, saying crafting projects for the contest let them use their creativity and have a sense of accomplishment.
“It’s just really fun to build something and see how it works,” said Tyler Dohn, a senior from Gov. Mifflin. “It’s our way of using adult Legos.”
For their project, the Gov. Mifflin team created a sensor that can be placed under a sidewalk and generate electricity every time someone steps on it. The energy is sent to a battery to be stored and used later.
Senior Kemar Ferguson said he found it exciting to be able to use his love of building to produce something that can make a genuine difference in the world.
“There are very few problems that can’t be solved by creating something new or improving on something old,” he said.
The team from Conrad Weiser, who found a way to extract nitrogen from manure and add it to steel to make it stronger, also said they enjoyed being able to solve problems through science and technology.
“We’re high school students making Pennsylvania better,” said Efstratia Pauley, a senior. “And that’s amazing.”