Mayor’s Cup 2024 STEM Challenge takes place April 14, 207 students participating for cash prizes and trophies

The 2024 Mayor’s Cup STEM Challenge takes place from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, at Mundelein High School. Two hundred seven students will participate and compete for cash prizes and trophies in both the team and individual competition.

In the Individual Math Competition students will test their mathematical knowledge by taking a timed written and proctored exam. The Team-Based Engineering Competition is for teams of 3-5 students who will work together to demonstrate problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative engineering and more. The engineering challenge is disclosed to the team members on the day of the challenge to add to the fun and competitive nature of the contest.

“We are very pleased to host the Mayor’s Cup STEM Challenge. This year, we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of this competition, and the event continues to exceed our expectations in terms of student involvement and the support provided by the Mundelein business community. We are very grateful to our business sponsors who make it possible for the students to win the cash scholarships. Students can choose to participate in either an individual math contest or the team STEM challenge and the cash prizes are quite lucrative,” Mayor Steve Lentz said.

Mayor Lentz developed the contest to bring attention to science, technology, engineering and math education.

Parents and the community are welcome to watch the teams in the engineering competition in the MHS gym. Once the engineering challenge is disclosed, the students strategize about how to best utilize the resources to master the challenge. Therein lies the fun. Then, when the teams begin testing their creation, it’s fun to watch the competition unfold. The best time to watch is at approximately 1:45 p.m.