MAHOMET, Ill. (WAND) — Students at Mahomet-Seymour Jr. High have been recognized for their hard work in STEM by the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition.
Science and Math Teacher Jennifer Smith said for her, the most important thing is to show students the possibilities STEM offers.
“The most important thing for me is that they understand that even though they might be sixth graders, what they can do is really impactful, and I want them to see that STEM can help them accomplish things and solve problems that they have,” said Smith.
Sixth grade students were assigned a project to address an important community issue using STEM. Their prototype was a sports jersey offering rib and heart protection, and other types of advanced technology.
“That would include protective padding to prevent against things like commotio cordis, and they wanted to also measure temperature levels and hydration levels in both electronic ways and in visual ways,” stated Smith.
Sixth-grader Owen Wills believes this project helped them build confidence and their skills in working in a group.
“We didn’t really know how to do a lot of stuff, but we accomplished it in a short amount of time. It just makes me think that I can do a lot more than what you have set you mental boundaries,” said Wills.
Smith says she's not sure what project they'll work on next year, but she'll leave that up to the students.