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Shaler Area's annual STEAM Competition attracts schools from across the region and challenges students knowledge in science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

This year, 11 teams from 10 school districts in Allegheny and Washington Counties, competed in a series of four on-site challenges, which students learn of the day of the competition, and one off-site challenge.

North Allegheny Senior High placed first, North Allegheny Intermediate took second place and Shaler Area High School's team placed third with a team that included Michael Dunn, 
Taylor Jones, 
Cory Nasiadka, 
Michael Bagwell and 
Allie Graf.

Shaler Area High School teachers design each challenge to incorporate multiple aspects of STEAM and require students to work collaboratively in their teams of five in order to succeed.

This year, students were tasked with creating a red light intersection/train-crossing scene out of provided materials and a Hummingbird Robotics Kit, design and build a personal flotation device to keep a 1kg mass afloat, complete a solubility puzzle, and create a Keith Haring-inspired thermography portrait.

This year’s off-site project was inspired by recent advancements in driverless car technology, and challenged students to build a vehicle that would be controlled by a driver who cannot see when maneuvering through an obstacle course that included stopping for road hazards, moving in reverse, parallel parking and maneuver a specific turning radius.