2018 STEM Competition Takes on Animal Poaching on Feb. 24
Foxcroft School’s math and science teachers keep coming up with more creative ideas for attracting girls to STEM activities and the upcoming 2018 Expeditions K2M: The STEM Summit, is just the latest example.
On Saturday, February 24, when the seventh annual, hands-on event takes place, 40 teams of girls from middle and high school in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., will focus on a subject close to their hearts, animals — specifically, illegal poaching and animal conservation. In addition to bragging rights and trophies, the winning schools will receive symbolic animal adoptions in their names through the World Wildlife Federation.
There will be some new twists in the competition itself, too, as organizers incorporate more 21st century technology into the day. Dr. Maria Evans, STEM Department Chair at Foxcroft and director of the competition, is creating an app that each team will use throughout the competition. Working on Kindle Fires at each team’s table, girls will use the app to answer questions and earn raffle chances.
The STEM competition has become a highlight of the winter for participants, volunteers, and spectators, and interest continues to grow. This year, the high school division will include two homeschool groups, along with five high schools. If there were more time and space, the division could be even larger as many schools would like to send additional teams and Foxcroft has a waiting list of girls who want to participate. In the middle school division, defending champions Powhatan School of Boyce, VA, leads a group of 13 schools registered to participate.
The STEM competition has become a highlight of the winter for participants, volunteers, and spectators, and interest continues to grow. This year, the high school division will include two homeschool groups, along with five high schools. If there were more time and space, the division could be even larger as many schools would like to send additional teams and Foxcroft has a waiting list of girls who want to participate. In the middle school division, defending champions Powhatan School of Boyce, VA, leads a group of 13 schools registered to participate.
“Expedition K2M is the pinnacle of competitive STEM fun for girls,” says Dr. Evans. “The individual challenges are designed to showcase STEM academic areas via creative and active-learning problems. Look for some new twists this year as we work to incorporate technology into the theme. Every year is gets bigger and better!”
Working in teams of 3-4, the girls will rotate through five activities, unraveling biology, chemistry, logic, physics, and math problems to save animals. Engineers from K2M, Inc., the Leesburg, VA-based, biomedical company that sponsors the event, will create one of the challenges, which have names such as Lost in Translation; Scat, Poacher!; and Friend or Faux.
The high school competition begins at 8:30am with seven visiting teams, from the Loudoun County Academy of Science in Sterling, VA, which won the title last year, Georgetown Visitation (Washington, DC), Highland School (Warrenton, VA), Middleburg Academy, Orange County (VA) High School, and two homeschool groups, Azer and Solid Foundations. Foxcroft will field 13 teams. One will be designated to represent Foxcroft in the overall competition; all will vie for individual challenge honors.
Joining Powhatan in the middle school division are 19 teams from Blue Ridge Middle (Purcellville, VA), Chesapeake Academy (Irvington, VA), Grymes Memorial (Orange, VA), Harmony Middle (Hamilton, VA), The Hill School (Middleburg, VA), Immanuel Christian (Springfield, VA), J. Michael Lunsford Middle (Chantilly, VA), Mercer Middle (Aldie, VA), Norwood (Bethesda, MD), St. John's Episcopal (Olney, MD), St. Patrick’s Episcopal (Washington, DC), and the Village School (Charlottesville, VA).
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
