Students from South Wasco County School District discuss ways to improve their Rube Goldberg Machine design during the "100-minutes of Making" period. (Columbia Gorge STEM Hub)
THE DALLES – The spirit of innovation and teamwork was on full display at the Second Annual Regional Rube-a-Thon, held at Columbia Gorge Community College's Campus in The Dalles on October 25th. This year's challenge, titled "Feed a Pet", brought together 26 teams comprised of 127 seventh-grade students from eight schools across the region. The event celebrated student creativity, critical thinking, and engineering skills in a friendly competition to design complex Rube Goldberg-style machines.
The participating teams had to think outside the box as they applied science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) principles to solve the challenge in the most imaginative way possible. Each team built intricate machines designed to accomplish the simple task of feeding a pet in the most elaborate and entertaining manner.
Keynote Speaker, Rosa Grabos, Manager of Technical Managers at Amazon, commented "The kids loved being able to use their creativity to come up with a design. It was collaborative and they tested the laws of physics!"
The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of 11 sponsors and a host of industry volunteers from organizations committed to fostering STEM education and career readiness. The sponsors included Trillium Engineering, Intel, Amazon, Collins Aerospace, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, Gorge Makerspace, Career Connect Southwest
Washington, Gorge Technology Alliance, Columbia Gorge Community College, and the Columbia Gorge Education Service District.
"Many of our industry and community partners offered mentorship and expertise, giving students a glimpse into real-world applications of STEM. The Rube-a-Thon is a creative way to engage young minds and inspire the next generation of innovators", shared event organizer Kate Wurster of the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub.
The competition showcased the students' creativity and collaboration, with each team presenting unique approaches to the challenge. Judges, drawn from the event sponsors and local STEM professionals, evaluated the machines based on criteria such as complexity, creativity, teamwork, and how effectively the machine completed the task.
"I loved watching students collaborate and problem solve together!" shared Wy'East Middle School Teacher Andrea Kaplowe. Will Walter, School Counselor at Wishram School in Washington commented, "It was such a great experience for us. Students are already talking about going next year!"
The regional Rube-a-Thon continues to grow as a cornerstone event for fostering STEM enthusiasm among middle school students in the Columbia Gorge area. The Columbia Gorge STEM Hub is already planning for next year, aiming to make the third annual competition even more exciting and impactful.
For more information about the Rube-a-Thon or to get involved as a sponsor or volunteer, please contact Julie Cucuel, Columbia Gorge STEM Hub Director, [email protected].
Columbia Gorge STEM Hub is a department of Columbia Gorge Education Service District. To learn more about the STEM Hub's work in our region visit: http://www.gorgestem.org.
Reader Comments(0)