- Chester County Intermediate Unit
- Events & Activities
- STEM Design Challenge
Elementary & Middle School

-
A Team Challenge
The STEM Design Challenge is for small teams of 4th - 8th graders who are challenged to brainstorm, develop, and implement a solution to an engineering problem using various building materials.
Equipping Teachers
At the heart of the program is a teacher training workshop to prepare teacher coaches for the year's competition.
Workforce Partners as Judges
On competition day, scientists, engineers, technicians and specialists from Chester County workforce partners serve as judges, bridging the connection between K-12 and the STEM workforce.
2023 Challenge coming soon!
2022 Challenge
Infrastructure is the framework of our world. Buildings, roads, and power supplies are part of the infrastructure needs of our society. Your challenge is to improve our transportation system. Think of current transportation systems like air travel, vehicle travel, bicycling, etc. In what ways can they be improved to create a safer, healthier, and cleaner world? Or does your team have an idea for a new transportation system? Create a prototype that shows this improved, or new, transportation system. Demonstrate how your system works by moving a ping pong ball (or similar object) through your prototype.
-
March 31, 2023
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM STEM Design Challenge
Get Involved
-
At the heart of the program is a teacher-training workshop to prepare teacher coaches for this year's competition.
December 10, 2021
NOTE: Please register in both divisions if you coach teams in both levels. Registration for the training is required in order to be entered into the competition and register your teams.
-
We are looking for individuals with a science, technology, engineering, math, and educational background to serve as judge for the STEM Design Challenge competition March 7, 2022.
Please use this form to RVSP your availability to serve as a judge for the 2022 Competition.
Sponsored by:
K’Nex Kits
-
K'nex and recyclable materials may be used in the creation of the design. LEGO's may not be used.
Judging Criteria
-
- Creativity
- Teamwork
- Challenge Success
- Design
- Presentation
Awards
-
- Awards will be given to top three teams in grades 4-5 and grades 6-8
- Additional prizes may be awarded (best blueprint, most creative, etc.)
- First-place winners in each division will advance to the virtual state competition that will be held in May. Date to be announced.
Resources
-
4-5 & 6-8 Level Scoring Rubric
The same rubric will be used for both levels. Notable changes to the rubric are Journals will now be an Engineering Design Notebook. The Inventory/Budget requirement is being removed from the Middle School level.