Forty-four registered teams with close to 200 students from fourth grade through high school competed in the KPBSD annual “Mind A-Mazes” meet on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at Soldotna Prep School. Teams came from all parts of the peninsula – Homer, Hope, Seward, Nikiski, Moose Pass, and the Central Peninsula.
This year’s annual “Mind A-Mazes” challenge had teams exercise their communication, teamwork, engineering, and problem-solving skills while constructing and testing a vehicle powered solely by a single mousetrap. The annual challenge is made possible through the active participation of district Quest program (gifted education) teachers, as well as a host of other teachers, volunteers, and supporters. The “Rodent Racers” problem challenged team vehicles to travel a distance of 21 feet with accuracy and speed. If a team’s device met all of the problem requirements and limitations and hit a can target at the end of a 21 foot lane (without going outside of a three foot wide lane), then it qualified for a second heat in which the speed at which it traveled the lane and hit the target were measured.
Junior Division
- 1st place – K-Beach Elementary “Caribou Creators”
- 2nd place – Redoubt Elementary “Unicorn Poprocks”
- 3rd place – K-Beach Elementary “The Speedsters”
- Junior Spontaneous Challenge Winners – Seward Middle “Cheese Balls”
- Junior Judges Choice Winners – Sterling Elementary “Rapid Racers”
Intermediate-Senior Division
- 1st place – Hope School “Twenty-One Mice”
- 2nd place – Kenai Middle “The Losers”
- 3rd place – Kenai Middle “Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S.)”
- Intermediate Spontaneous Challenge Winners (tie) – Kenai Middle “Muelloffatchews” and Homer Middle “The Huskies”
- Intermediate Judges Choice Winners – Nikiski Middle/High “Vinyl Girls
Thank you to all the students, parents, coaches, teachers, volunteers, judges and coordinators who made this year’s meet such a wonderful experience for students!
Link
Mind a-Mazes Blog
More photographs and details
Story contributed by Brian Bailey
