CLARION, Pa. — Riverview Intermediate Unit #6 held a regional PA Governor’s STEM Competition on February 27 at the RIU6 headquarters in Clarion.

(Pictured above: Oil City School Team.)

This annual competition provides local school districts with a unique opportunity to tackle authentic problems utilizing skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

This year’s competition, “Improving Pennsylvania Through STEM”, featured teams of students from Allegheny-Clarion Valley, DuBois, Jefferson Tech, Neshannock (IU4 team), Oil City, Titusville, and Valley Grove school districts.

The competition included three phases: Project Plan, Project Presentation, and Project in a Box. Each team received a $500 stipend and were challenged to research and identify a real-world problem facing Pennsylvanians. The task was to develop a prototype that provides a practical solution to the identified problem. along with the prototype, teams were required to provide a detailed project plan including a budget. On the day of the competition, the teams demonstrated and explained the practical application of their device to a panel of judges. In addition, teams competed in a Project-in-a-Box activity, where each team was tasked with building a self-propelled vehicle using provided materials. The teams were scored on 21st-century learning skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

Oil City Area: Capturing Kinetic Energy in High Traffic Areas

Team members: Sydney Lamberton, Caleb Gardner, Ethan Smith, Benjamin Mizerak and advisor Wendy Masters