Kannapolis Middle students win BioMoto STEM competition

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 20, 2014

Kannapolis Middle School students won top prizes in the Pit Crew Challenge at the regional BioMoto STEM Challenge and multiple other awards. The event was held March 8 at the Rockingham Motor Speedway.
The Pit Crew Challenge tests how well teams work together to change tires in a pit stop situation. Kannopolis Middle competed against middle schools from Cabarrus, Rowan-Salisbury and Richmond Counties. The school swept the Pit Crew Challenge awards, winning first, second, third and fourth place prizes.
Students also took part in other portions of the BioMoto STEM Challenge. They designed, built and displayed apparatuses that were required to move 50 pounds of weight. They also used Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills to design and build devices that lifted the apparatuses.
The BioMoto STEM Challenge is a collaborative educational initiative funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation. The program is guided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and the North Carolina Motorsports Association.
Students participated in fitness testing at the Appalachian State University Human Performance Laboratory at the N.C. Research Campus. They also toured the facilities of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte motorsports program. The goal of the BioMoto Challenge is to motivate students to improve their understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; help them succeed in school and inspire them to consider STEM-based careers.