Invention Challenge Brings Student Engineers to NASA JPL - NASA

Young Engineers Unleash Creativity at NASA's Invention Challenge

In a whirlwind of creativity and ingenuity, this year's 26th annual Invention Challenge took place at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The event brought together teams of talented middle and high school students from across Los Angeles and Orange counties to compete with their home-built contraptions.

For the third time this year, the Invention Challenge faced off as the "Bucket Brigade Contest," requiring teams to devise devices capable of transporting 2 gallons of water a whopping 16 feet in just 60 seconds. Amidst a sea of power tools, PVC pipes, and duct tape, teenagers proved their engineering prowess, with some teams finishing the task in record-shattering times.

The top three spots were dominated by local schools, with Arcadia High School's Team Still Water emerging as the champion after completing the challenge in an impressive 6.45 seconds. Mission Viejo High's Team Senior Citizens came close behind, edging out Santa Monica High's Samo Seals with a respectable 9.18 seconds.

A unique twist to the competition included teams from outside the local area, including four schools from Colorado and Massachusetts. Team "Trial and Error Engineering," led by retired JPL engineer Alan DeVault, repeated its winning performance from last year, taking the top spot once again.

In addition to the competitive elements, the event highlighted creative expression through various categories, with awards for artistic, unusual, and most creative designs awarded to teams like Team Clankers, Team 6, and Team Winning Engineering Team (WET).

Organized by a team of enthusiastic JPL staff volunteers, the Invention Challenge continues to inspire young minds with its unique blend of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As retired Fire Chief Dave Dollarhide, one of the guest judges, aptly put it, "A bucket brigade is all about teamwork and creativity – it's not just a competition, but an experience."

idk how much skill these students really have they used power tools and duct tape to win? that's not exactly what i call engineering... i mean, i'm sure it was impressive for 14-year-olds but is it something they'd be able to do in a real-world situation? also, why are there teams from other states competing against local kids? doesn't that create an uneven playing field? and what's up with the "creative expression" categories? sounds like an excuse for them not to focus on the main challenge

omg i love how nasa is supporting young engineers like this! its so cool to see them unleashing their creativity and skills in such a fun way. the fact that teams from out of state got to participate too is awesome! idk about the 6.45 sec record tho, thats crazy fast whoever did that must have been super focused!

omg i cant even right now so i was looking at the stats for this year's Invention Challenge and its insane how many teams participated 143 schools from across LA and Orange counties sent their students to compete

and lets talk about those record times arcadia high school took like 6.45 seconds to move 2 gallons of water 16 feet that means they had an average speed of 1.73 miles per hour i also saw some other impressive stats like the longest distance covered by a team's bucket brigade being over 20 feet

anyway im so hyped for these young engineers and their creativity its awesome to see how much talent is out there and im sure we'll be seeing even more amazing innovations from them in the future

OMG, I mean, can you even imagine having to transport 2 gallons of water in 60 seconds?! It's like trying to drink from a firehose while juggling chainsaws . Anyways, I'm loving how NASA is encouraging the next gen of engineers and inventors – they're basically creating the future engineers for us! I mean, who needs superheroes when you've got teenagers with PVC pipes and duct tape?

I gotta say, these young engineers are straight fire ! NASA's Invention Challenge is giving me life . Seeing teens from different parts of the country come together to innovate and create something amazing is truly inspiring . The "Bucket Brigade Contest" might seem like a simple challenge, but it requires a ton of creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork .

I love that they're not just focusing on winning, but also on self-expression and having fun . And, can we talk about the diversity in the teams? Four schools from Colorado and Massachusetts showed up, and they brought the heat ! It's awesome to see a global community of young minds coming together to learn from each other and innovate .

This event is not just about science, tech, engineering, and math (STEM), but also about creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration . The judges' comment about it being an experience rather than just a competition makes total sense . It's all about fostering the next gen of innovators and thinkers who can change the world !

this event sounds so much fun, teams of young engineers get to unleash their creativity and build some wild contraptions! i love how the organizers included schools from other states too, it's awesome to see kids collaborating across borders. and who wouldn't want to be a bucket brigade champion? 6.45 seconds is crazy fast! maybe one day we'll have humans walking on mars with some crazy invention built by these young geniuses

omg I'm sooo proud of those young engineers!!! they're like total rockstars! i mean, can u even imagine building a contraption that can transport 2 gallons of water 16 feet in like 60 seconds?!?! that's straight-up genius level stuff right there. and to see the top teams from local schools taking home the prize is like totally amazing . Arcadia High School's Team Still Water is literally my spirit animal now - i need to get myself a still water logo t-shirt or something . seriously though, it's so cool that they got to showcase their creativity and engineering skills, even if it was just in the bucket brigade contest... can u imagine what they'd come up with for the artistic designs category?!?!

I'm low-key impressed by these young engineers! I mean, 16 feet in 60 seconds? That's some crazy engineering right there. I've seen some wild stuff on the internet, but this takes the cake. And it's not just about getting the job done fast, they actually made it look pretty cool too. I love that NASA is supporting these young inventors and giving them a platform to showcase their skills. It's awesome to see some local schools killing it, especially Arcadia High School's Team Still Water! And can we talk about how inclusive this event was? Four teams from out of state made it to the top three? That's what I call innovation, am I right?

The notion that a challenge centered around transporting water 16 feet in under a minute sparks an intriguing discussion on human ingenuity and problem-solving prowess. In this context, I believe the true value lies not only in the engineering skills demonstrated by these young minds but also in their capacity for creative expression and collaboration. The emphasis on teamwork, as evident in Dave Dollarhide's remark, underscores the importance of fostering a culture that encourages experimentation, failure, and perseverance. Moreover, the diverse range of participants from outside the local area adds a layer of complexity, illustrating the potential for knowledge sharing and cross-pollination that can arise from such events.

I'm kinda old enough to remember when these sorts of challenges were just a bunch of science fairs . Back then, you didn't even have access to YouTube tutorials or online forums to learn from. But I guess that's the beauty of it – these kids are still getting their hands dirty with some good ol' fashioned DIY skills . And can we talk about how cool it is that they're competing globally now? Like, what even was Colorado and Massachusetts doing without Alexa back in the 90s ? Anyways, I'm glad to see that NASA's still investing in these kinds of programs – it's awesome to think that maybe one of those future geniuses will be designing a spacecraft or something . Still, I wonder if they could've done better with just a little more duct tape and some TLC

I'm like totally stoked to see young engineers getting their creative juices flowing at NASA's Invention Challenge ! It's awesome to see these talented teens coming together, using their problem-solving skills, and pushing the boundaries of innovation. The fact that teams from outside LA are also participating is a great example of how this event is fostering a sense of community and collaboration.

The bucket brigade contest might seem like a simple challenge at first glance, but it's actually a brilliant way to encourage critical thinking and creative problem-solving in STEM fields . And let's not forget the importance of having fun while doing it – it's clear that these kids are loving every minute of this experience!

As someone who's all about living a balanced life and making conscious choices, I'm also happy to see an event like this promoting values like teamwork, creativity, and perseverance . It's amazing to think about the impact these young engineers might have on the world in the years to come – they're truly the future leaders of innovation!

OMG, I'm literally impressed by these young geniuses ! I mean, 16 feet in 60 seconds? That's like, crazy engineering skills right there . And I love how they got to think outside the box (or bucket, lol) and come up with creative solutions to a problem. It's amazing to see the passion for STEM and innovation among these teens .

But what really caught my eye was the mix of local and out-of-state teams participating – it's awesome to see students from different areas coming together to share ideas and learn from each other . And can we talk about the creativity in the designs? Like, some of those artistic entries were straight fire !

It's events like this that remind me why I love being an engineer – it's not just about solving problems, but also about bringing people together and inspiring the next gen of innovators .

lol @ these kids nailing that bucket brigade challenge like it's nobodies business 6.45 seconds? That's like me assembling a decent gaming PC in under an hour can't wait to see what they whip up next, maybe something that'll actually change the world

idk how impressed i am by these kids... like, yeah they can build a decent bucket brigade in 6.45 secs, cool . but what's the point of this whole thing? are we gonna use this tech to help society or just make some fancy gadgets that nobody needs? . and btw, what's up with all these teams from out of state showing up? can't they come up with something original for once? . and don't even get me started on the "creative expression" category... like, a bucket brigade is not exactly artistic . still, gotta give props to those who participated and showed off their engineering skills .