“Students who compete in TSA have the opportunity to learn lifelong skills like problem-solving, working with team members, and real-life experiences like being interviewed by judges about their projects and learning from their failures,” said Matthew Kline, TSA Region 8 coordinator and Northern Cambria teacher.
Saturday’s competition at Northern Cambria will include a total of 60 different categories across the high school and middle school divisions, Kline said, including topics such as forensic science, microcontroller design, electrical applications, biotechnology, transportation modeling, animatronics, system control technology and flight.
Students who win at the regional conference can go on to compete at the state and national levels.
Cambria County President Commissioner Thomas C. Chernisky will participate in Saturday’s opening ceremony, and U.S. Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, R-Centre, will speak during the post-competition awards ceremony about the importance of STEM education, according to organizers.
The high schools that will send students to the competition are Altoona Area, Bedford, Bishop McCort Catholic, Cambria Heights, Central Cambria, Conemaugh Township Area, Conemaugh Valley, Mifflin County, Northern Cambria, Purchase Line, Richland, State College Area, Westmont Hilltop and Windber Area, according to organizers.
The participating junior high schools and middle schools are Altoona Area, Conemaugh Township Area, Conemaugh Valley, Divine Mercy Catholic Academy, Mifflin County, Moshannon Valley, Mount Nittany, Northern Cambria, Park Forest, Purchase Line, Richland, Westmont Hilltop and Windber Area.
TSA bills itself as “a national nonprofit organization of middle and high school students who are engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).” Its mission is to enhance “personal development, leadership and career opportunities in STEM … through intracurricular activities, competitions and related programs.”
Approximately 250,000 students participate in TSA in the United States. Region 8, the largest region in Pennsylvania, consists of 28 chapters, including 12 middle school chapters and 16 high school chapters.
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