More than 2,000 Students from 144 Schools
Participated in The Tech's Premier Engineering Design
Program
SAN
JOSE, Calif., April 29,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tech, the world-renowned
science, technology, and education center in the heart of Silicon
Valley, announces the results of the Final Showcase of 37th Annual
Tech Challenge, which took place on April
27-28 in downtown San Jose.
Presented by Amazon, The Tech Challenge drew thousands of students
in grades 4-12 to South Hall to put their creative solutions and
engineering journals to the test in front of the judges.
This year's challenge, "Cosmic Quest", sent teams on a fictional
journey to aid scientists in unraveling the mysteries of a distant
planet and its largest moon. Their mission? Engineer a launcher to
successfully transport essential supplies—represented by tennis
balls—to the lunar surface. Over 540 teams participated this year,
many sporting space-themed costumes, unveiled their prototypes,
showcasing their ability to launch tennis balls that would safely
land on three distinct surfaces.
"This weekend we witnessed an extraordinary display of
creativity and determination from all of the students who
participated," said Katrina Stevens,
President and CEO of The Tech. "It is truly inspiring to see the
next generation of engineers and innovators pushing the boundaries
of what's possible, all while learning critical lessons about
teamwork, communication, and the importance of learning from
failure."
This year-round program kicked off in October when teams of two
to six students began working through the engineering design
process to solve the given challenge. Participants have spent
months collaborating and becoming deeply engaged in the challenge
while documenting their progress and designs. Now they can begin
preparing for next year's challenge, the theme of which has been
hinted to focus on gravity.
"The Tech Challenge sparks students' passion for engineering,
fostering a profound love for learning, teamwork, and innovation,"
stated Abby Longcor, Senior Director
of The Tech Challenge. "This year's cosmic theme, 'Cosmic Quest,'
has captured imaginations far and wide, not only elevating
students' engineering prowess but also sparking the curiosity of
future astronomers and physicists. We were thrilled to witness
countless students ascend to new heights of creativity and
problem-solving this weekend."
The Tech Challenge would not be possible without the enduring
support of hundreds of educators. This year's Bob Grimm Award for an Extraordinary Educator
was given to Matt Pearson from Marin
Country Day School. The award is named after a long-time Tech
Challenge champion Bob Grimm, who
was a stalwart supporter of providing STEM education resources for
all.
You can find a list of all 2023 award winners here.
B-roll and Photos are available here.
The Tech Challenge presenting sponsor is Amazon; with additional
support from Barbara and Bill Heil,
eBay, Inc., Intel, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Adobe Foundation,
Agilent, Arm, Deloitte Foundation, EY, Ford Motor Company, Gibson
Dunn, Google, Hitachi Vantara, Marvell, Mayfield Fund Foundation,
Neat, Renesas Electronics, and Snowflake.
About The Tech Interactive
The Tech Interactive is a
family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of
downtown San Jose. Our hands-on
activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences
empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and
compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive
STEAM education resources to develop the next generation of
problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that
everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the
better.
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SOURCE The Tech