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STEM competition aims to inspire students
March 21, 2016 | Kelsie Cleboski
University of Houston-Clear Lake students Colton Bell, Arthur Flores and Alyssa Casas
devised a card-stacking strategy at STEM Challenge 2015. Registration for STEM Challenge
2016 began March 21 and is open to teams of high school and college students.
High school and college students interested in science, technology, engineering or math will join forces and compete at the 2016 STEM Challenge 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., April 9, at University of Houston-Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.
Registration is now open, participation is free and lunch will be provided. Organizers recommend that teams register by April 7.
Teams of four will compete in challenges that test their analytical skills, problem-solving abilities and teamwork. Competitors will be divided into beginner or advanced categories based on education level, and participants will not require a background in a particular STEM field, computer programming or robotics in order to be competitive.
The goal of the competition is to encourage students to explore STEM fields, and teams can win a variety of prizes including UH-Clear Lake scholarships and an internship with AtLink Communications, a software development company.
While some students may feel intimidated by math and science studies, one of the goals for the competition is to help students feel more comfortable and confident, said UHCL Information Technology Program Chair Krishani Abeysekera, one of the faculty advisers of the competition.
“We want to inspire students,” she said, noting that the competition has diversified the types of challenges it presents since the first STEM Challenge in 2012, which focused on robotics.
STEM Challenges were also held in 2014 and 2015, and 18 teams participated in last year’s event that pitted students from public, private and home schools head-to-head in the competition.
Chair of the Computing and Mathematics Division Sadegh Davari said the competition is funded by a National Science Foundation grant focused on keeping students in STEM studies.
“The whole purpose of the grant is the retention of people in STEM fields. We want to attract those who have an interest in STEM and get them excited,” he said, noting the competition is also an opportunity to showcase the opportunities and resources at UHCL. “Our goal is to bring more students who are inclined toward STEM fields to campus.”
The competition is hosted by UHCL’s Bridges to STEM Careers Program, and UHCL student mentors in the program run the competition among other duties, such as tutoring fellow students, offering workshops on STEM topics and welcoming new STEM students to campus every summer.
Computer Science Program Chair Sharon P. Hall said the program offers valuable leadership and educational opportunities that will have lasting effects.
“If the students hadn’t had this group or this experience, they wouldn’t have the same connections, the same confidence,” she said.
For more information or to register for the 2016 STEM Challenge, visit http://bsc.uhcl.edu or email Abeysekera at abeysekera@uhcl.edu or call 281-283-3831.