From staff reports
Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 held a regional PA Governor’s STEM Competition on Tuesday at the RIU6 headquarters in Clarion.
This annual competition provides local school districts with a unique opportunity to tackle authentic problems using skills of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The competition included three phases: Project Plan, Project Presentation and Project in a Box. Each team received a $500 stipend and were challenged to research and identify a real-world problem facing Pennsylvanians. The task was to develop a prototype that provides a practical solution to the identified problem. Along with the prototype, teams were required to provide a detailed project plan including a budget. On the day of the competition, the teams demonstrated and explained the practical application of their device to a panel of judges. In addition, teams competed in a Project-in-a-Box activity, where each team was tasked with building a self-propelled vehicle using provided materials. The teams were scored on 21st century learning skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
Second place was won by a team from Rocky Grove High School. The team, including Alexis Chambers, Matalyn Diven, Jackson Donovan, Anabell Hawkins, Grace Beach and adviser Bridget Kennedy, built an adjustable lumbar support cushion to address the problem of uncomfortable school chairs. The “Wooshamacushion” can be zipped onto a backpack to be carried from class to class.
Titusville High School earned third place. The team of Gavin Los, Mason Nicol, Chance Dow, Ethan Zdarko and adviser Ted Banner tackled the problem of ice buildup on sidewalks. Their geothermal sidewalk involved a pipe filled with a mixture of water and antifreeze, placed below the frost line and running through the cement slab.