Howell Middle Schoolers Take First At National STEM Competition

HOWELL, NJ — A group of students from Howell Middle School North put in a stellar performance at a national technology competition recently.

The team of students took the best in nation title in the TEAMS competition at the National Technology Student Association conference in Nashville, Tenn., in late June and early July.

The team also took first place in the problem solving portion of the TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude Mathematics And Science) competition, and fourth in the written portion of the TEAMS competition.

In addition to the TEAMS competition, students from Howell Middle School North also scored well in other competitions held at the conference.

Howell Middle School North also took third in system control technology, fourth in forensic technology, sixth in the junior solar sprint, and ninth in community service video.

Regan Riehl took fourth in prepared speech, and Grace Loftus took fifth in essays on technology.

TEAMS is an annual STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) competition challenging students to work collaboratively and apply their math and science knowledge in practical, creative ways to solve real everyday engineering challenges, according to the Technology Student Association website.

"After participating in TEAMS, students increase their knowledge of engineering, feel more confident about participating in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities and increase their ability to work with others to solve complex problems," the website says.

The Technology Student Association is a national nonprofit organization for students engaged in STEM academic areas. In addition to TEAMS, TSA offers over 60 STEM competitions for middle and high school students across the nation. TSA membership includes over 225,000 students and 2,000 schools spanning 48 states.

Photo courtesy of Hetal Sabuwala