GREENWOOD, Texas — STEM stands for Science, Technology, Education and Mathmatics. It has been the latest trend for schools everywhere to get kids interested in these topics at a young age.
Some STEM teams, however, get the chance to compete in national competitions.
Which is exactly what Greenwood ISD's class is getting the opportunity to do.
Sponsored by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the Greenwood ISD class got help from the foundation when they sent them supplies, a work bench and helped with building a new center.
It all got started thanks to a chance meeting at a conference.
“A representative was there from Cal Ripken who was like, 'hey, we're offering these materials, reach out to us; and she was one of the first ones in line," STEM teacher Elizabeth Kivin said. "So we were one of the first ones in this area to get a Cal Ripken Stem Center.”
The group is made up of six fifth-grade students, who were nominated based on attendance records, grades and their ability to make up class work they may miss.
Because once they get to STEM class, they put their noses to the grindstone.
“A usual class day, like on Tuesdays, I'll go to all my classes. Then at 1:40, I'll come here and we'll work together," Kenzlee Everett said. "Then at 2:40 we go back to our classrooms and do what we usually do in our class.”
During this competition, Greenwood ISD went up against 49 other teams.
“The challenge was to develop an amusement park ride. It had to have one motion and one linear machine or one simple machine," Kivin said. "It had to be able to function on its own as an amusement park ride had to be available for all ages, all types of abilities, everybody.”
They certainly met their goal and then some.
Now, it's just them and two other teams heading to Maryland for the final round.
“It feels really good to know that we've gone so far since November and how we're going to do it entirely different state that we've never been before.” Ty Moore said.
It won’t just be all about the competition… the team will have a little bit of time to enjoy what Charm City has to offer.
“Once we arrive in Baltimore, we get to meet Cal Ripken and their employees, we get to hang out with them for a couple days. We're going to be traveling to Hershey Park doing all of the things," Kivin said. "Then we actually get to go to the Cal Ripken facility, we will present in front of more judges, but this time it will be live and that's where they'll decide to for first, second or third place.”
No matter what place they come in, the memories they made along the way will be worth more than anything.
“It's been really fun to work together with people who are very smart and know what they're doing," Eva Wilkinson said. "It's been a lot of fun.”
The team will find out what place they got in on the 21st.