2023 STEM Quest Challenge winners selected from 18 student teams 

Clarkson University’s Institute for STEM Education (STEM Ed) is pleased to announce the 2023 STEM Quest Challenge winning team, “Float Fest”. The annual Challenge saw 18 undergraduate student teams vie for first place, in the competition judged by STEM Ed faculty and affiliates.

In the first round of competition, 90 students participated in the process of creating 1-2 minute videos to pitch ideas for engaging K-12 STEM education lessons. Teams were challenged to conceive hands-on activities relevant in the K-12 classroom that will make students excited about STEM. 

In the first round of judging in February, the top 10 teams were selected. Each received a $150 prize, and then the highest-ranked 4 teams moved on to the second round of judging. 

The final four teams were “STEM Through the Ages”, “Voltage Ventures”, “Epic Meal Slime”, and “Float Fest”. Each team created a comprehensive lesson plan, as well as another 4-10 minute video detailing the content, activities and learning objectives of their proposed lesson. All materials were submitted for round 2 in early April. Lessons were judged for their effective problem-based learning strategies by evaluating if they displayed clear learning goals, focused STEM inquiry, and understandable and inspiring activities.

Float Fest, created by Santino Martinelli, a sophomore mechanical and aeronautical engineering major, and Ryan Pearl, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, was selected as the 2023 competition winner. Their lesson’s driving question is “How does a hovercraft work?”, and its activity leads students to learn about different physical forces in the process of creating and testing hovercrafts.    

The first place team won a $1,500 prize, and the rest of the top four all won $1,000. Another of the top 4 lessons, STEM through Ages, is being implemented in some 2023 Clarkson summer camp curriculum. 

Clarkson’s Institute for STEM Education supports the next generation of problem solvers in STEM. STEM Ed aims to establish Clarkson University as a national leader in student achievement, exemplary pedagogy, and K-12 outreach.