“The Warren County School District had ​19 teams participate in this competition, and each team was tasked with devising innovative solutions to aid Pennsylvania farmers,” Meggi Brown, STEM instructor at Beaty-Warren Middle School, explained.

“Their creations ranged from agricultural robots to cutting-edge farming equipment, showcasing the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills.”

Teams are made up of 2-4 students who must create their prototype using K’Nex and include at least one motor. Each team has to submit a blueprint, a design notebook and make a presentation. They’re judged on creativity, teamwork, challenge success, design and presentation.

This year’s challenge was centered around agriculture.

“Team Aqua” from Beaty-Warren Middle School - Lillian Wellner, Carly Olsen, Nina Woldt and Lily Sutton - took second in their grade division with their mobile fish tank that produced fertilizer to be used on crop fields.

“(T)eams were challenged to help our Pennsylvania farmers by creating an agricultural robot or other type of ‘high-tech farming’ equipment that they could use,” Brown said.

“Team Time Shavers” from Eisenhower Middle High School – Mitchell Owens, Lane Morrison and Alivia Glotz – took first in the 6-8th grade division, which sends them to the state competition in Harrisburg on May 3.

“​Their design ‘Time Shaver’ was an automatic machine that was used to shave sheep, llamas, alpacas, and other animals to help farmers save time and money,” Brown said.

She added this squad finished second last year and were excited to come out on top this time around.

“It felt so good to win and teamwork was the biggest part of winning,” Glotz said. “My teammates Mitchell and Lane were so fun to work with.”

“Team Berry Bot” from Beaty-Warren Middle School came in third. That team included Ashlynn Zawacki, Eliza Scutella, Kaitlyn Salapek and Elsie Woldt. Their design - the “Berry Bot,” a machine to help in the collection of berries.

“Team Aqua” from Beaty-Warren Middle School – Lillian Wellner, Carly Olsen, Nina Woldt and Lily Sutton – took second in that grade division with their mobile fish tank that produced fertilizer to be used on crop fields.

Shifting to the 3-5th grade division, “Team Berry Bot” from Beaty came in third. That team included Ashlynn Zawacki, Eliza Scutella, Kaitlyn Salapek and Elsie Woldt. Their design – the “Berry Bot,” a machine to help in the collection of berries.

“For my first time, I thought our team did amazing,” Scutella said. “Anything that helps farmers is worth studying .My teammates were supportive and it made the competition experience very exciting.”

“I thought it was a really fun time along with building stronger friendships with my friends and showing good sportsmanship,” Zawacki added.

Salapek said it took “a while” to build their design.

“During the awards ceremony, my heart was racing because we didn’t know if we were going to win,” she said. “But overall, it was a lot of fun.”

“The K’nex STEM Design Challenge not only showcased the students’ technical skills but also highlighted the importance of collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in addressing real-world problems,” Brown explained. “As these young innovators continue to hone their talents, they embody the spirit of progress and innovation that defines the future of STEM education.

“All student projects demonstrated a remarkable blend of innovation, functionality, and practicality.”