Howell Students Take 5th In National STEM Competition

HOWELL, NJ — Eight students from Howell Middle School South were honored recently for their success at a national STEM competition earlier this summer.

The team finished fifth in the nation overall at the National TEAMS competition held in Orlando, FL. TEAMS stands for Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science is an annual competition for middle and high school students designed to help them discover their potential for engineering, according to the Technology Student Association, which coordinates the annual competition.

To attend Nationals, the team must receive a qualifying, combined score on an essay, written and problem-solving challenge administered locally.

The team, which consisted of Kayla M., Ruthi D., Sasha R., Chloe B., Beata W., Mason W., Brendan M. and Ange K., all of whom were seventh-graders at the time, received a third-place Best in Nation award for its poster presentation and a seventh-place Best in Nation award for for the written component of the competition. (Last names for the students were not provided.) Their scores in those events combined with the problem-solving event led to a fifth-place finish in the nation against teams from all over the country.

"Using math, science and 21st century learning skills, students work together to problem-solve real, everyday engineering challenges. The annual challenge theme is selected from the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges," the Technology Students Association said on its website. All the challenges focus on environmental issues.

The TEAMS competition helps to develop “STEM-capable” students in an engaging way by showing them how math and science, with an engineering focus, are used to make tangible differences in the world, the group said.

The team at Howell Middle School South was led by adviser Josh Langenberger.

The Howell Middle School South team, from left to right: Kayla M., Ruthi D., Sasha R., Chloe B., Beata W., Mason W., Brendan M. & Ange K. Photo provided by Howell Township School District