Creativity and STEM skills shine at local tournament

On Feb. 25, 65 students from Noggin Builders in Northbrook participated in an innovative, fun-filled STEM tournament called Destination Imagination. The teams presented their creative solutions to a number of unique challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and fine arts at the tournament held in Wilmette.

The teams have spent months collaborating on their Challenge Solutions. Their projects included building a rollercoaster that could launch a golf ball, using STEM to flip scenery, and using technical methods to design a tool that can assemble a puzzle. At the tournament, teams also solved an Instant Challenge in which they had just five minutes to apply their creativity and teamwork to a secret challenge. Ten of the 11 Noggin Builders teams earned medals and all teams will be moving on to the state level of competition. The students come from many towns, including Northbrook, Deerfield, and Waukegan, and this is a unique opportunity for them to combine together on teams.

This year two of the teams were made up of children from Waukegan who participated via Noggin Builders Foundation which strives to bring equitable access to STEM education to children in underserved communities. "Las Niñas Fresas" presented their flipped tale of Rapunzel partially in Spanish, and the "Mischievous Spy Apes" built a roller coaster out of bamboo and presented a story that highlighted the importance of teamwork.

Team coach and owner of Noggin Builders, Amy Torf, states, "Our goal is to help children build their creative problem solving skills through STEM. This tournament was a celebration of their hard work in both STEM and collaboration skills."