What Is It?

What is it?

A day of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity (the “Four Cs” of 21st century skills). Teams of students compete in various critical-thinking challenges. The goal is to make students “think hard and different.” The competition is fun and lighthearted!

Who is it for?

Students in 5th through 9th grades and a chaperone from schools in ARIN IU28. Teams should consist of five students each, but districts can bring more students as long as only five students compete in each round.

What do students need to do to prepare?

They should pack a lunch and arrive with an attitude of collaboration. 

What do teachers need to do to prepare?

Other than put together a group of students, there is nothing first-time teachers need to do to prepare. But if you are a returning participant, or if you are new and would still like to contribute a station, see here. Local teachers (and sometimes their students) create all the missions. They are a secret from other schools until the competition.

What do the challenges look like?

Each station (called a “mission” or "station" or "challenge") takes 30 minutes or less to complete. Teams will earn points based on their ranking at each mission. Challenges will span various categories, including math, word games, engineering, creativity, teamwork, non-traditional puzzles, and more. They're all designed to activate one (or more) of the 4 C's of 21st Century Learning.