Students compete in Range STEM Challenge
Courtesy of Range Resources
Students from Trinity’s winning team, include, back row, from left, Hank Smith, Ethan Clawson, Andrew Durig, Alex Ausher, and Ian Verdu-Smith; in the front row, from left, are Trinity teacher Nicole Welsh and Christina Kramer and Callie Fry of Range Resources.
Courtesy of Range Resources
A scale model of a wellhead cage designed by students for the STEM competition held by Range Resources and Intermediate Unit 1
About 180 students from 13 school districts participated in the Intermediate Unit 1 and Range Resources second annual STEM Challenge, held April 19 at Range Resources Southpointe office.
Students were challenged with designing and building a scale model of a wellhead cage, which is used to protect flowing wells while ongoing work is conducted on a well site. The designs were tested to failure. Each team submitted a written and video presentation ahead of the event, so students knew where they stood before their models were tested. Cash prizes were awarded to first-, second- and third-place student winners at each competition level, while the top three teachers earned classroom grants ranging from $250 to $1,000. An award was given to the student choice prototypes for middle school and high school levels.
Winning teams received wooden award plaques designed and crafted by Trinity High School students.
Winners were:
Middle school, first place, Bentworth Team 2; second, Chartiers-Houston Team 2; third, Trinity Team 1;
High school, first place, Trinity STEAM Team 1; second, Trinity Physics Team 2; third, West Greene Team 1.
There was also a student choice award in both divisions. The following teams’ teachers won robotics kits, and the students won Range swag:
Middle school, Laurel Highlands Team 1, and high school, Ringgold Team 2.