I've been attending Sci-TEC Academy for the past few months, and I have had a blast! Sci-TEC is a collection of challenges spread out over 3 months. Each month, two challenges are given that must be completed within 2 hours. Teams of 3-4 people are randomly assigned or chosen, depending on the challenge. The group that most completely finished the challenge wins!
The first challenge was about structures and fluid dynamics. The challenge was to create the device that held the most products at the steepest angle, then to make an engineering drawing of it. My team got to the steepest angle of 70 degrees.
The second challenge was coding and robots. The coding was an error-check on an Arduino. I had to look through the code until I found what each part of the code did. Then the team had to work together to move a robot through a maze with the top covered. Two members tried to track the robot while another controlled it.
The third challenge was to create an electrical circuit and discuss the reason one particular kind of power (solar, wind, and several others) is the best. In the circuits lab, I had to create several working schematics, build two of the circuits, measure the voltage drop on one of them, and measure capacitance. For the energy sources, I discussed with my team the pros and cons of each type of power.
At the banquet, I received recognition for best circuit design. I received several additional awards at the banquet: Outstanding expertise and experience in STEM; Volunteer service in STEM; and Demonstration of significant leadership in a STEM activity.