A Maui-based version of the Jr. Engineering Expo held on Oahu by the UH College of Engineering, EIM allows local middle school students the opportunity to compete at a comparable level in the same activities without flying to Honolulu.
Maui district’s Engineering in the Middle Competition is supported annually as a signature event by MEDB’s Women in Technology (WIT) with funding from Maui County and the U.S. Department of Education.
On average, about fifty 7th and 8th graders participate in the fun, hands-on competition designed to teach them basic but important concepts of engineering.
Students are challenged to design and build popsicle stick bridges and marshmallow launchers with professional engineers and teachers nearby to advise on elements of structural design. The completed structures are judged on design and weight-bearing capability.
Besides local bragging rights, the first place winners win WIT sponsorships to attend UH Manoa’s Jr. Engineering Expo on Oahu to compete against other middle school students across the islands.
For more information about Engineering in the Middle, contact Mapu Quitazol at mapu@medb.org, (808) 875-2343.