Student works with a robot at the STEM & Robotics challenge

Students compete in STEM and Robotics challenges

The Dysart Unified School District held their annual STEM and Robotics Competition at Shadow Ridge High School on May 5. The event is designed to foster and promote hands-on STEM learning, collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation among third through eighth grade students.

The STEM challenge this year was a Balloon Car Challenge. Students were tasked with creating a car that is propelled by the air escaping from a balloon. Students were given a budget to shop for supplies and had one hour to build and test their device. They then competed in the challenge for the longest distance traveled. Teams were encouraged to practice building various versions of balloon cars, so they could test and refine their designs. The winners were as follows:

3rd & 4th Grade

1st place: Asante Preparatory Academy
2nd Place: Western Peaks Elementary School
3rd Place: Countryside Elementary School

5th-8th Grade

1st place: Freedom Traditional Academy
2nd Place: West Point Elementary School
3rd Place: Western Peaks Elementary School

The robotics challenge involved four different fields or activities where students had to program a robot to navigate a challenge. These consisted of moving the robot up a ramp, navigating an obstacle course, pushing objects from one end to the other, and designing a robot task that has the potential to solve a problem in the world. The winners were as follows:

3rd & 4th Grade