On May 27, Sea View Elementary Junior Secondary School in Port Alice proudly hosted the annual School District 85 STEM challenge with approximately 150 participants. This event brings Grade 6 & 7 students from across School District 85 to work collaboratively using Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics principles in an applied manner. Students were challenged to re-design and build a replacement for plastic six-pack rings using sustainable materials and a technical design process. Following the design and building of this product, students were required to pitch their product to industry professional judges in a Dragon’s Den style presentation. A key aspect of the SD85 STEM challenge is the partnering of School District 85 with local industry and business.
Connecting student learning to career opportunities while focusing on solving industry-related challenges provides meaning, relevance and high expectations for all. At this STEM challenge, students from diverse communities and backgrounds rose to and surpassed those expectations in all criteria. This highly-engaging experience resulted in many exceptional products being presented to the judges; several of which are currently being reviewed by national industry leaders across the country.