Winners of the New Jersey School Board Association (NJSBA) STEAM Tank competition were on hand at the township board of education meeting on Nov. 15.
The competition – held in May – features teams of students who work together to come up with solutions for real-world problems, such as climate change.
A division from Oak Valley Elementary School participated in the competition; Team Hope for Kids was made up of fifth grade students. Team Retractable Wheelchair Ramp, in the middle- school division, was made up of sixth grade students.
The former finished in first place while the latter finished in second place. They were coached by Gifted and Talented Education teacher Daniele Jacob.
“The students that are here tonight are here because they’re being recognized for their achievements with the NJSBA Tank Competition,” said Jacob. “Last year was the first year that we ever entered, so it was a brand-new endeavor for all of us. They took it in stride and knocked it out of the park and it was a huge accomplishment for them.
“They were asked to either invent a product, improve a product or solve a problem,” she added. “Then they had to work on this as a team. They worked on this throughout the year, they created a pitch, then submitted it to the NJSBA, presented it in front of the judges and then engaged in a Q and A with the judges.”
According to Jacob, 410 teams throughout the state entered the competition. The teams then moved into the finals with their actual completed product, participated in one last Q and A and then were chosen by judges.
Each student received a certificate recognizing the accomplishment and a lanyard in the black and gold colors of the township. The winners also had a chance to shake the hands of each board member at the meeting, from the superintendent to the chief academic officer, and accept congratulations.
Board member Ed Kalinowski and board President Joe McKenna both saw the presentations.
“Well done,” said Kalinowski. “Very well done.”
“They got a lot of questions, and they handled them very well,” said James McDevitt III, another board member.
The next board of education meeting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m.
