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NWPE Members & Students Excel at Mars Rover Competition
posted by: Cindy Omlin | July 03, 2014, 10:28 PM   

Congratulations to NWPE members Darlene Frates and Beth Brubaker at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy who led their students to capture seven of 11 awards at the Idaho TECH Mars Rover Challenge held at the University of Idaho on May 2!  Student teams from grades 4-6 competed in the science and engineering design competition by building a Mars Rover using a LEGO kit provided by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium.  The Consortium sponsored the event. Each rover went through a number of design challenges including: Hill climb, blind driving, speed test and rock collection. The 27  student teams also gave presentations explaining their design process.    


darlene frates beth brubaker clippedNorth Idaho STEM Director of Instruction and NWPE member Colleen Thomson, who was awarded a $250 New Classroom Grant to assist with travel expenses for last year's competition, explains the value of the competition:

“By exposing our students to STEM-related projects and competitions, we are preparing them to be successful and competitive in life. An educated person in the 21st century will need to innovate continuously as new technologies and ideas will impact all aspects of our society and world. Project-based learning, such as Mars Rover, integrates curriculum so students understand the connections between subjects and their application in the world. This requires students to use specific skills such as collaboration, teamwork, time and task management and presentation skills to conclude a project successfully. These same skills prepare them to become productive, capable citizens in a technology-dependent society. The Idaho Tech Mars Rover Competition contributes to student success and motivates them to take challenges. It benefits a broad range of students and allows them to excel.” 

Winning STEM Charter awards included the following:

* Second Place Overall: "Marshmallows of Mars" 

* Third Place Overall: "The Lego Masters"

* Best Hill Climbing Rover: "Ninjas of the Moon"

* Best Display: "When Bacon Lands in the Frying Pan" 

* Best Presentation: "Scientists from Saturn" 

* Lightest Weight: "Mortars from Mars"

* Speed Test: "Houston, We Have A Problem"

 

Congratulations to these outstanding educators and their students who are not just reaching for the moon, they're reaching for Mars!

 

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