SMETHPORT (EC) — Ten teams of students in grades 9-12 at Smethport Area High School participated in Great Minds in STEM all day Friday in the school gymnasium.
With materials provided by the program sponsor, Shell Appalachia, students competed in the hybrid crane challenge, in which all teams constructed a crane that could swivel and lift an object.
Later in the morning, the teams were challenged in Innovation Challenge to invent a device that would help society in the year 3000.
The afternoon agenda was devoted to STEM Jeopardy, during which the students were tested on their knowledge of STEM subjects.
Smethport was one of three schools in the U.S. to participate in this program, which is designed to inspire America’s future technical workforce in the careers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The faculty learned about Great Minds in STEM Thursday afternoon. An orientation meeting for the students’ parents was held in the evening.
Winners of the three competitions earned Viva Cash that could be used for the electronic prizes. Personnel at Great Minds in STEM planned and administered this program.
Students from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford were college volunteers, and Shell professionals monitored the teams’ projects.
