Nearly 600 middle and high school students will flood Wayne Community College’s campus this Friday (Feb. 7).
For the second year, the college will host the Eastern Region North Carolina Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference. The conference consists of more than three dozen individual and team competitions that test science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills.
Twenty-seven TSA chapters from 17 NC counties will be participating in contests. Four of those chapters are from Wayne County: Mount Olive Middle School, Norwayne Middle School, Wayne School of Engineering Middle School and Wayne School of Engineering High School.
“Wayne Community College is pleased to host the Technology Student Association again this year. Last year there were just less than 400 students who participated in this event. This year we are expecting 590 middle and high school students on campus. Contestants this year will travel from as far south as Cumberland, as far north as Dare, and as far West as Orange counties,” said Dr. Ernie White, dean of WCC’s Applied Technology Division.
“Hosting the TSA event provides WCC an opportunity to showcase our programs, employees, and college,” White said. “To quote Jodie Baker, public services department chair, ‘what a great day to be a Bison.’”
High school contests include Animatronics, Architectural Design, Biotechnology Design, Board Game Design, CAD Architecture, CAD Engineering, Coding, Children’s Stories, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Digital Video Production, Dragster Design, Engineering Design, Flight Endurance, Future Technology Teacher, Photographic Technology, Prepared Presentation, Promotional Design, Structural Engineering, Technology Problem Solving, Technology Bowl, Transportation Modeling, and Webmaster.
Middle School students will compete in Biotechnology, Career Prep, Children’s Stories, Coding, Construction Challenge, Digital Photography, Dragster Design, Flight, Inventions and Innovations, Junior Solar Sprint, Mass Production, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Technology, Microcontroller Design, Off the Grid, Prepared Speech, Problem Solving, Promotional Marketing, Structural Engineering, Technology Bowl, and Website Design.
WCC is providing most of the judges and activity locations. The Farm Credit Farmers Market at the neighboring Maxwell Center will be the site for some of the contests that require more space, including testing of Dragster Design, Solar Sprint, and Transportation Modeling.
The NC TSA Annual State Conference at the end of March is the next stop for those who succeed in Friday’s contests. From there, winners go to the national conference in the summer.
About TSA
The Technology Student Association enhances personal development, leadership, and career opportunities in STEM, whereby members apply and integrate these concepts through intra-curricular activities, competitions, and related programs.
Open to those who are enrolled in or who have completed technology and engineering courses, TSA has 250,000 middle and high school student members across the country. TSA is supported by educators, parents, and business leaders who believe in the need for a technologically literate society. TSA members learn through competitive events, leadership opportunities, and membership activities.
About WCC
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 11,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 140 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
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