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No mission to the red planet ever really goes as anticipated. Student engineers at the Middle School STEMposium event found this out the hard way. It was only through perseverance, collaboration, and ingenuity that they made it safely back to Earth after a series of calamitous events.
Hosted at Spangdahlem Middle School, the event brought together 14 DoDEA Europe middle schools, with over 100 students tackling a complex engineering problem.
The students were divided into six STEMinar groups: Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Geospatial Engineering, Communications Engineering, Planetary Engineering, and Robotics Engineering. Each group developed specialized skills, but ultimately, they had to integrate their learning to create a cohesive solution to get home from Mars.
Support from multiple military units at Spangdahlem’s 52nd Wing, local command speakers, and the unwavering dedication of Spangdahlem Middle School teachers, staff, and PTSA made the event a success.
Over the course of just a couple of days, students gained hands-on experience and found inspiration in what can be accomplished as a team. They developed solutions, presented them to a panel of judges, competed in culminating events, and even created team mission patches. This unique challenge provided an opportunity to apply the key skills of 21st century education — collaboration, communication, creative problem-solving, and critical thinking — while working under tight timelines.
The students are the problem solvers and STEM professionals of tomorrow. By participating in the Middle School STEMposium, they took their first steps in solving large-scale, real-world problems and made a giant leap in their STEM journey.
The event was a testament to the power of teamwork and innovation. As these young minds continue to grow, the skills and experiences they gained will shape their futures and possibly the future of space exploration.
For more information about the event and future STEM opportunities, contact Spangdahlem Middle School.
Official video of the event, produced by Spangdahlem High School’s Video Communications Class:
