One week left to register for the most exciting STEM competition in the South

There is NO COST to participate in Storm The Citadel! 2015; mentors available to help

CHARLESTON, SC – There is one week left for schools and businesses to register teams for the South’s most exciting STEM competition. Storm The Citadel! 2015 will be held Sat., Feb. 14, and teams still have 10 weeks to design, build and perfect their trebuchets − medieval launching devices − for the competition. Co-hosted and co-founded by Google and The Citadel’s School of Engineering, the event reinforces the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Using their best engineering know-how, teams will launch balls and a variety of items hundreds of feet until the winners prevail. Google has a team that loves hurling stuff. They’ve been competing since the first Storm The Citadel! in 2011.

REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL OR BUSINESS’S TEAM FOR STORM THE CITADEL! 2015 HERE !

 

Google’s trebuchet team (Jeff Stevenson, center)

 

“It makes the learning of a technical subject project-centered and fun-based – but the learning of science, engineering, and math is very real. You can see the students getting more and more excited about learning because of Storm The Citadel,” said Jeff Stevenson, Google’s trebuchet team leader and member of The Citadel’s Class of 1991. “We are extremely happy with this event and excited about this on-going partnership.”

An estimated 3,000 people attend the competition each year, including up to 60 teams of elementary, middle, high school and college students, as well as groups from community organizations, the military, and South Carolina businesses. Teams come from across the state and from other Southern states. Businesses including Spawar andBoeing have teams that compete.

“Plenty of help is available so don’t hesitate to register for what is an incredibly fun learning and bonding experience for students, clubs and for business colleagues,” said Rhonda Ewing, K-20 STEM Outreach Director for The Citadel’s STEM Center of Excellence. “Teams in the Hoplite Division receive a free trebuchet kit and we have mentors who can assist student teams and schools can apply for funding for materials or transportation.”

One of the teams that sets the standard for the high school level or Centurion Division is Stratford High School, which is located in Goose Creek, S.C. Stratford’s team has placed numerous times in various categories and won first place for accuracy in Storm The Citadel! 2014.

 

Stratford High school takes another trophy in 2014

 

“Our Trebuchet team is all about having fun and through participation they naturally see the mathematical connections,” said Randall Simmons, Stratford High School teacher and club leader. “We look forward to this event every year and the students come to me and my co-sponsor, beginning in August asking when we are going to start the trebuchet practices. I highly encourage other high school teachers to engage their students in Storm The Citadel.”

 

To find out more about how to get involved with Storm The Citadel! 2015, email [email protected], or call (843) 953-7118.

 

E-Week at The Citadel

2015 marks the fifth year of the Storm The Citadel! trebuchet competition, which is part of the college’s DiscoverEweek, held in conjunction with the national DiscoverE. The Citadel will host robotics and bridge building competitions as well as the new Lego Gear Challenge on Feb. 15, 2014, in addition to Storm The Citadel! The activities are designed to increase public awareness and appreciation of the engineering profession. The Citadel, home to the fifth oldest engineering school in the U.S., and Google are dedicated to providing opportunities and initiatives to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in Lowcountry schools.