LA PLATA, Md. (May 13, 2012)—Teams from J.P. Ryon Elementary School, John Hanson Middle School and Thomas Stone High School placed at the statewide Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) competition held Monday, May 7, at Johns Hopkins University.
The team from Hanson earned first place in the Basswood Bridge challenge. The team from Ryon earned third place in the Storybook Theme Park Ride and the Scratch Banner Design challenges.
The Thomas Stone team placed in all four events. They earned second place in the Wind Energy Challenge, and received third place in the Effective Communications, Interactive Game Design and Basswood Bridge challenges.
Awards are given for first-, second-, and third-place teams and one overall state elementary and secondary winner is chosen. The school that earns the most points throughout the competition is chosen as the overall winner. This is the fifth year Charles County Public Schools has competed as a separate Maryland MESA region, due to growth of participation in the program. Maryland MESA is designed to prepare students for academic and professional careers in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology.
The program's goals are to increase the number of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and related professionals at technical and management levels; and to serve as a driving force in encouraging and assisting minorities and females in achieving success in these fields.
For more information on Maryland MESA, visit http://www.jhuapl.edu/mesa/home/.
Source: Charles County Public Schools