Elementary STEM Event Teaches Children About Microcontrollers and More

Teams of third, fourth and fifth-graders at New Jersey Institute of Technology's Elementary STEM Challenge went high-tech this year, aiming to solve environmental problems in their schools by using the capabilities of Micro Bit microcontrollers.

The competition is in its third year, with Randolph's Fernbrook School Green Team taking home first place for their invention that detects hallway noise and alerts the principal's office when students distract their classmates by talking too loudly.

Newark's own Marion P. Thomas Charter School STEAM Academy finished second, while Hurden Looker School, of Hillside, was third.

"Even though we're kids, we can help make a difference, and help the 500 kids in our school," said Daniella Dolan, a fifth-grader on the Fernbrook team. "This is our first time and we're thrilled to be here," her teacher Jenise Janulis said. "They learned so much. They learned everything about the engineering design process and how valuable that is to them," along with learning about CAD software, the microcontroller and how sound is measured, she added.

"This was an outstanding program," and they'll be back next year, Janulis concluded.

In addition to presenting their designs for judging, more than 100 elementary students also took tours of the NJIT Makerspace, met the Baja racing and SAE Flylanders clubs, and heard inspiring speeches from Newark College of Engineering dean Moshe Kam plus junior mechanical engineering major Vishva Rana.

Kam told the students about the medical industry's standard knee replacement, known as the New Jersey Knee, which was invented by NJIT engineers and has a lifespan vastly longer than previous products. Rana, a third-year Goldwater Scholar, spoke about her own research using microcontrollers to study air quality here in Newark.

Chayanne Hyde led the event on behalf of NJIT's Center for Pre-College Programs. "A lot of this was hard work and it's really exciting to see the kids push the envelope. We forget how creative young kids can be," she said. For teachers, she said, "It brings out the kid in you again!"

Hyde said that she's hoping to get artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies for students to use in next year's competition.