STARward STEM announces 2024 winners

Apr 8, 2024 | Blog Posts

Three experiments designed by Cumberland County Schools students are headed to the International Space Station!

Cumberland County Schools are helping students develop skills and find their passions in STEM-related fields through STARward STEM, a program designed to create “something they’ll always remember”. On March 26, Cumberland County Schools crowned the winners of the 2024 STARward STEM Design Challenge. The winning experiments will be launched into space later this year and will be tested on board the International Space Station.

Twenty teams from nine CCS elementary and middle schools competed in this year’s STARward STEM Design Challenge. The students have spent months collaborating on science. technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) findings. They identified and investigated challenges facing astronauts in space exploration and designed experiments that could help improve their time in space. Now in its fourth year, the program was developed by RTI International in partnership with Cumberland County Schools, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and various community partners.

At the Design Challenge Expo, held at Douglas Byrd High School, attendees had a chance to view contest entries and speak to team members about their experiments. They also had the opportunity to interact with STEM industry experts, area organizations that provide STEM-based jobs within the community, and former NASA astronaut Tony Antonelli, a Douglas Byrd graduate. Event exhibitors included RTI International, Emerging Technology Institute (ETI), the FAY Regional Airport, the US Space & Rocket Center, the International Space Station National Laboratory, MetroNet, Campbell University, Blue Ridge Power, and more.

 

Here are this year’s winners!

“At-Large” Winner

“Tardigrades ‘The Water Bears'” Team
Fifth graders Elijah Bullock, Christopher Farmer and Sebastian Torres Ramirez from Cumberland Mills Elementary School
Teacher: Barbara Cascasan

“At-Large” Expo winners from Cumberland Mills Elementary School

Elementary Winner

“Monstera Plant” Team

Fifth graders Jameson McCall, Makayla Thaggard, Kaleb Walker and Avery Wise from William H. Owen Elementary School
Teacher: Anayansi Young

Elementary Winners from W.H. Owen Elementary School

Secondary Winner

“Iron Oxide Investigators” Team

Seventy-First Classical Middle Schoolers Isabella Lee, Enoch Rogers, JosV Santz and Zachary Thurnher
Teachers: Marvin Diaz, Marisoll Lopez-Willis, Joriz Malasa, Sarah Nelson, Jacob Regensburger and Tara Powell

Secondary Winners from Seventy-First Classical Middle School

 

The FCEDC is a proud sponsor of the STARward STEM program. STEM activities help children develop problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. By nurturing these students, we can lay the groundwork for future innovations that address many of our world’s most pressing challenges. A strong STEM workforce drives economic growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace. Industries like manufacturing, cybersecurity, defense, and more require a workforce with STEM-related skills. By exposing children to STEM activities early, we can better prepare them to meet the demands of the future job market and bridge the existing skills gap.[/caption]

Read more in Cumberland County Schools’ press release.