Nearly 400 middle and high school students from across the nation and China will be competing in the 11th annual National STEM League (NSL) finals competition April 28-29. The competition returns to the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center (Armory) at Rensselaer again this year.
During this two-day event, more than 50 middle and high school teams will compete for the Grand Championship. Students will put their innovation skills to the test in Student Racing and Student Rover Challenge competitions. Student UAV Challenge (drones) teams will make their first appearance this year and compete side-by-side with Racing and Rover teams. The finals are the culmination of yearlong programs in which students think innovatively about how engineering performance and emerging technologies can improve personal, academic, and professional pursuits.
“We are very excited to come back to RPI,” said Terri Stripling, CEO and president of Ten80 Education (Ten80). “The NSL helps students fast-track math, science, and engineering proficiency through higher-order thinking while igniting creativity and enthusiasm. Student teams worked hard throughout the season earning their place at Finals and we expect some thrilling competitions.”
Students will tour the Rensselaer campus on Saturday morning, engage in skills workshops Saturday afternoon, then register and attend an opening banquet that evening. Sunday is a fast-paced day of competitions. Students face each other in racing and robotics challenges, business enterprise presentations, engineering projects, and graphic design. Following competitions, an awards ceremony will recognize winning teams and celebrate their countless hours of hard work, determination, and preparation.
