Students triumph in face of COVID-19 isolation to complete The Tech Challenge

The Tech completes first-ever Virtual Showcase for the 33rd annual youth engineering design program

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Apr 27, 2020, 14:34 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Young innovators put their perseverance and problem-solving skills to the test April 25 and 26 at the first-ever Virtual Showcase for The Tech Challenge: Launch, Land, Expand, presented by Dell Technologies.

Students participate in the first ever Tech Challenge Virtual Showcase April 25 and 26. The Tech Challenge, a signature program of The Tech, invites teams of students in Grades 4–12 to use engineering design to solve a real-world problem. It reinforces 21st-century skills including creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance and learning from failure. For more info, visit thetech.org/thetechchallenge

This year, teams spent months meeting, designing and building a device to explore a distant planet that launches, lands and expands equipment for scientific research and life support. After shelter-in-place orders, students had to adapt quickly to meet remotely, complete their designs and explain their process to judges via video conferencing.

More than 2,300 students participated in the program this year.

"We are answering the call of parents and educators to keep students engaged in such hands-on learning. We are impressed with the teams that have persevered and are working hard to ensure we celebrate the ingenuity shown by our young innovators," said Gretchen Walker, VP of Learning at The Tech.

The Tech Challenge, a signature program of The Tech, invites teams of students in Grades 4–12 to use engineering design to solve a real-world problem. It reinforces 21st-century skills including creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance and learning from failure.

Awards will be announced Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m. For more information, visit The Tech Challenge website.

Key supporters for The Tech Challenge program include presenting sponsor Dell Technologies with support from Cisco Systems, SAP, Arm, AT&T Foundation, Barbara and Bill Heil, Intel, Seagate, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Zoom Video Communications. Supporters also include Accenture, Adobe, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, eBay, EY, Ford Motor Company, Genentech, Google, Lockheed Martin, Mayfield, Micron, Poly and Xilinx.

About The Tech Interactive
The Tech Interactive is a family-friendly science and technology center in the heart of downtown San Jose. Our hands-on activities, experimental labs and design challenge experiences empower people to innovate with creativity, curiosity and compassion. The Tech is a world leader in the creation of immersive STEAM education resources to develop the next generation of problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally. We believe that everyone is born an innovator who can change the world for the better.

Inspiring the innovator in everyone. | thetech.org

SOURCE The Tech Interactive