What is the challenge for 2025?? 

In this challenge, elementary and middle school students will focus on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (UN Sustainable Development Goal 9) by designing a prototype that addresses a real-world problem related to infrastructure, transportation, or urban development. The goal is to inspire students to think about how cities, roads, bridges, and systems can be built or improved to be more efficient, sustainable, and accessible.

Rules:

• A team of 2-4 students will work together on the project.

• Students must create their prototype using no more than 1400 K’Nex and/or Engino pieces. String, tape, and rubber bands are permitted.

• Teams must bring their materials to the competition and will have 2 hours to recreate their project for judging.

• There can be no pre-constructed components brought to the competition. Protypes must be built "from scratch."

• Projects must fit on a 6-foot-long table. Water may not be used as part of the display.

• Each team will need to create and submit a design notebook and a blueprint for viewing at the competition.

• Each team will need to prepare a presentation (2 minutes or less) on their model and how it answers the challenge.

** Because we are adding Engino, we have removed the requirements for motors and for the middle school inventory. 

** Teams can use K'Nex, Engino, or a mix of both.  (They don't connect together but teams could use both in their prototype.)

Judging Criteria:

• Creativity

• Teamwork

• Challenge Success

• Design

• Presentation

Parts of the competition:

Design Notebook

• This should be a journal of the team’s progress from start to finish.

• The Notebook should include elements of the Engineering Design Process.

• Resources for Design Notebooks

Blueprint

• A blueprint is a technical drawing or design plan for a project. It is used to represent the final product.

• Blueprints for the STEM Design Challenge can be a drawing, cad drawing, online sketch, etc. Be creative!

• Resources for blueprint ideas

Prototype

• Teams will answer the challenge by creating a prototype of their idea using K’Nex and/or Engino.

• Teams may include a backdrop or artwork, but judges will not consider this in their scoring.

• Projects must fit on a 6-foot-long table. Water may not be used in the display.

Presentation

• Teams are asked to share their ideas in a presentation for the judges.

• Each presentation will be 2 minutes or less.

• Every student on the team should be a part of the presentation.

• Judges may ask questions of the team after the presentation.