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SAHS hosts 4th annual STEAM Competition on March 8

Shaler Area hosted the 4th annual STEAM Competition on March 8, 2019, which attracted teams of students from school districts across western Pennsylvania.
 
For the first time since the inception of competition, Shaler Area High School students took themselves out of the field of competitors in order to design the competition challenges. A total of 18 teams from school districts in Allegheny, Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland counties competed in the daylong competition, which challengeed students to complete four on-site team challenges that incorporate multiple aspects of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), and required students to work collaboratively in their teams of five in order to succeed. 

Each challenge was created by a team of Shaler Area High School students who are involved in Science Club or Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) and teachers specializing in each subject area.

“It is great for students within our district and in the surrounding area to have an opportunity to problem solve and critically think their way through a fun and challenging series of STEAM-focused activities,” said Paul Stadelman, who is part of the team of high school teachers overseeing the challenges. 

“Participating districts have used our competition as a springboard to Problem/Project Based learning and even held local competitions to see who would represent their school at Shaler Area’s competition.”

As part of the STEAM Competition, students worked for the past months on the off-site project challenge to create a launcher and glider plane capable of traveling varying distances, carry a golf ball, and perform a loop maneuver in the air. Inspired by the blockbuster “Jurassic Park” movie series, each of the challenges contained Jurassic themes to determine which school teams avoid extinction. 
 
This year's overall winners were: 
1st Place - Mars Area High School team (2nd consecutive year)
2nd Place - Trinity Area High School team
3rd Place - North Allegheny Senior High team

The participating school districts included:
Baldwin-Whitehall
Bethlehem-Center
Brentwood
Diocese of Pittsburgh – Bishop Canevin
East Allegheny
Fox Chapel Area
Mars Area
Montour
Moon Area
New Kensington-Arnold
North Allegheny
Pittsburgh Public Schools – Taylor Allderdice
Riverview
Seneca Valley
South Butler County (Knoch)
Trinity Area
This year’s competition was sponsored by Chevron.