VANCOUVER – Southwest Washington Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement program (MESA) will host its fifth annual middle school science and engineering competition, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 21 at Clark College.
MESA Day is a festival of learning, discovery, competitions, activities, and fun events that encourage camaraderie and spark interest in careers related to the fields of math, science, and engineering. More than 140 middle school students from three school districts will have the opportunity to showcase design, problem solving, mathematical and communication skills on a competitive basis at this MESA Day event.
Schools will compete in the pre-built trebuchet competition and a math Olympiad. Students from separate schools will work in collaborative on-site design teams to take on integrated engineering challenges. Parents and family members are invited to attend the events of the day, including a parent seminar, “College Readiness 101.” An awards ceremony will conclude the event.
MESA brings resources into schools to help close the academic achievement gap and build a pathway to careers in engineering and science for students who are underrepresented minorities in these fieldsAfrican American, Latino, Native American, and girls. Southwest Washington MESA is housed at Washington State University Vancouver and serves students from Jason Lee, McLoughlin, Cascade, Pacific, Canyon Creek, and Jemtegaard middle schools. In addition to Evergreen, Vancouver, and Washougal School Districts, Southwest Washington MESA partners include WSU Vancouver, Clark College and Hewlett Packard.
“Our students always look forward to participating in this event,” said Arnetta Burney, Director of Southwest Washington MESA.
Interested volunteers can contact Burney at, 360-546-9355.
