The Fleet Science Center is gearing up for the highly anticipated Tech Challenge, scheduled for Saturday, February 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. As the culmination of SciTech's Fall Session, this exciting event will showcase the ingenuity, creativity and problem-solving skills of students from Avondale Elementary School (Spring Valley), Bayside STEAM Academy (Imperial Beach), Palomar Elementary School (Chula Vista) and Vista Grande Elementary (El Cajon), and the Fleet’s ongoing commitment to foster the development of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) identities in local youth.

Sandy Valdivia, Youth Engagement Manager at the Fleet Science Center and leader of the SciTech program reflects on a poignant aspect of the experience: "One of the most touching moments at SciTech is witnessing the unwavering determination of teams during the Tech Challenge preliminaries. Despite facing setbacks, their resilience shines through as they refine their designs. Witnessing their focused efforts to enhance their structures is genuinely inspiring. We celebrate their victories and embrace challenges with unwavering determination." 

The Tech Challenge is a highlight of the SciTech program, where students engage in hands-on problem-solving and innovation. This session's challenge tasks students with designing and building a device that will successfully drop, land and deploy, similar to the Mars rovers. Through this exciting endeavor, students develop critical thinking skills, teamwork and creativity while exploring the principles of STEM. 

For more information about the SciTech program and the Fall Session Tech Challenge, visit www.fleetscience.org/events/scitech.