Oswego County P-TECH students recently tested their teamwork, problem-solving, and engineering skills in an Industry Challenge and mentoring event presented by Novelis.
Students in grades 9-11 teamed up to build a crane system and compete for the best design. Each team received a box of parts with limited instructions, leaving them the creative freedom to build their best design. Each crane was required to be able to lift an object a minimum of three inches.
“The Novelis team spends weeks developing our challenge each year, taking into consideration educational, analytical, and mechanical elements along with real-world technology from our plant and process,” said Novelis Oswego plant manager Kristen Nelson. “Our goal is to create an experience for the students where they practice creating an effective process, continue developing technical aptitude, and get additional experience working as a team with their peers — all while getting to know Novelis better. These skills are foundational to the workforce we employ and instilling them in these students helps develop the workforce of the future.”
Once the cranes were assembled, the teams presented their designs to a panel of Novelis judges, who reviewed each apparatus for function, build, and creativity. Team “Still Working On It,” comprised of Noah Yerdon, Joshua Lee, Tawnee Burns and Lucas Ashton, won first place with a score of 100. “The Cranes” followed in second place with 98 points, and “Crawley Crane” took third for 97 points. “The Hurricranes” won the “Best Team Name” award, and “The Technicians” received honorable mention for the highest lift at 7.8 inches.
In addition to the competition, students also participated in a mentoring session that provided them with valuable insight.
P-TECH is a partnership between students, component school districts, Onondaga Community College, and industry partners, providing students with rigorous and hands-on academic, technical, and workplace experiences that lead to a high school diploma and an associate degree, free of cost.
To learn more about the Oswego County P-TECH program, visit CiTiboces.org/PTECH.
