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Progress Report on STEAM Pathways at Nevada Joint Union School

Nevada County Superintendent of Schools ran its second annual STEAM Expo on March 25th.

About 1500 folks came to the Fairgrounds between 9am and 2pm to view student entries in seven categories; Invention, Robotics & Computer Science, Environmental/Agricultural Innovation, Reverse Engineering, Rube Goldberg Devices, Science Fiction, and Scientific Inquiry. This event was the county-wide lead in event for the State Science Fair. The Expo also had a wide array of Special Exhibits, an Engineering Team Challenge, a Math Challenge, Twitter Scavenger Hunt, digital art show, and the Tech Test Jr! Whew! Special Thanks to NCSOS organizers Kathleen Kiefer, Shar Johns, and Judy Nielsen. What a remarkable success!

The NUHS Design & Engineering Pathway (Eric Mayer & Justin Coyle) teamed up with a Telestream engineer, Troy Fisher, to present a fun multi-activity exhibit with 3D printing, a giant Jenga game, and a Van Der Graff generator. NUHS Green Academy was also well represented by Green Biology teacher Jeff Kiefer with an awesome aquatic entomology exhibit. Interest in innovative NJUHSD CTE and STEM programs is high and this was a key event at getting the word out about pathways and academies that are building momentum at Nevada Union and Bear River.

Two NJU pathways in particular were well represented in awards;

Bear River’s Computer Science Pathway;

Clay Corippo, Nate Whittle, and Jake Friedrichs took 1st Place/Gold and a Leonardo Da Vinci Award in Scientific Inquiry. These three students will be advancing to the State Science Fair.
Jacob Knox, Syd Bishop and Justin Roberts take a 1st Place Gold Medal in grade level 9 in Rube Goldberg.
Kaylee Bohrer, Kayla Toft, and Kylie Dresbach-Hill received an Honorable Mention and a Leonardo Da Vinci Award in Robotics and Computer Science.
Calivn Bailey, Dustin Roberts and Christopher Burcham received an Honorable Mention in Robotics and Computer Science category.
Congratulations are due to BR pathway lead teacher Jason Bohrer!

Nevada Union High School Design & Engineering Pathway;

Kelly Muir, Decker Krogh, and Bradach Peevers won a 1st Place Gold in Robotics and Science
Dominic Guerra and Jonathan Petty received a 2nd Place Silver in Robotics and Computer Science category.
Miranda Townsend, Riley Nelsen, Nathan Merten and Paul Hoehn received a 3rd Place Bronze in Robotics and Computer Science.
Eli Katzenstein, Keegan Zetterberg, and Austin Smith won 1st Place Gold in the Reverse Engineering category.
Daniel Green— a one man show– won 1st Place Gold in the Environmental/Agricultural Innovation category.
Congratulations are also due to NU pathway teachers Eric Mayer and Justin Coyle!

The Varsity Design Squad takes 1st place at the Chevron Design Challenge.

Nevada Union’s Design & Engineering Pathway Design Team, The Varsity Design Squad, took 1st Place at the the Regional 2017 Chevron Design Challenge at Folsom High School! Competing against 15 teams from the Sacramento Region, some of who have programs 20+ years old. Students were given a secret design brief in the morning, and in seven hours, the NU Team concept sketched, designed, modeled a complete assembly with parts, drafted, and presented on a novel concept for a Lego Duplos storage container to a panel of five engineer judges. Their design rested on a broad knowledge base of design and engineering concepts ranging from human factors to issues of universal access, marketing, materials and manufacturing processes, and aesthetic appeal while also relying on a bunch of complicated skills in hand drawing and illustration, 3D modeling, prototyping, drafting, and professional presentation.

Students Eva Zlimen (9th), Oren Stallings (10th) and Eli Katzenstein (12th) advance to the State Competition at Scripps Ranch Sustainability Center in San Diego on May 6th. If you see these students on campus, congratulate them and wish them luck at State!

Special thanks to assistant coaches Kelly Muir, Daniel Green, Lindsey Thomas, and Aiden Acton for helping this team.

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