Lamont, Yale unveil STEM challenge

A boat made from household items that won’t sink from added weight.

A rubber-band powered car that travels the greatest distance.

These are the design projects slated for the first week of the Governor’s Summer STEM Challenge, a partnership with the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy.

The online initiative provides students with opportunities for engaged learning, while also equipping them with skills for STEM careers, the governor’s office said.

Connecticut students in grades 3 through 12 will compete each week in challenges drawn up by Yale student organizations.

“Over the course of the pandemic, so many students missed out on classroom experiences that are essential to their development,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement. “Our administration is launching the Governor’s Summer STEM Challenge as a way to help them have a stimulating summer and an engaging educational experience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, while at the same time giving our youth experiences that will improve their career opportunities.”

The first Summer STEM Challenge to build boats and toy cars was announced on Monday. Future projects will be posted online over the next six weeks.

College students from the Yale Undergraduate Aerospace Association came up with the first two projects.

Their instructions are clear and detailed: No adding salt or minerals to the water to make the boat floats, the student group said. For the toy cars, inclined surfaces and wind power are strictly prohibited — and once they leave the finish line, the vehicles cannot be touched until they’re at rest.

Elementary and secondary students, who may work individually or as a group, have until Sunday at noon to finish their mini boats and cars.

A panel of judges will then choose the winners based on creativity, design, presentation and teamwork.

Winners receive an unnamed prize and, if they participate in all six challenges, become eligible for one grand prize in each category.