Young innovators got creative and loud with The Tech Challenge: Kinetic Commotion, presented by Amazon on April 30 and May 1. This year, the annual youth engineering design program asked teams of students to design a device that uses stored energy to create a series of sounds.
Teams used materials like wind-up toys, dominoes, balloons, windchimes and xylophones to build devices they demonstrated for judges in a virtual showcase last weekend.
“The Tech Challenge gave me a better understanding of the engineering systems process by actually experiencing it,” said Christine Ryu, a ninth-grader who enjoyed learning how to use a miter saw to build their project.
“It’s a really fun, social, and active way to meet new people and get the creative juices flowing.”
More than 1,000 students participated in the main program this year along with thousands more who got a taste of engineering through mini-activities and other offerings.
The signature program of The Tech invites teams of students in Grades 4 to 12 to use engineering design to solve a real-world problem. It reinforces 21st-century skills including creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance and learning from failure.
“The Tech Challenge is one of the most important ways we spark STEAM interest and build the skills and confidence our next generation of leaders needs to solve our world’s biggest challenges,” said Katrina Stevens, The Tech’s President and CEO.