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JACKSON, MISS. – Mississippi middle and high school students recently competed in the statewide Transportation and Civil Engineering (TRAC™) Bridge Building Challenge at the Clyde Muse Center on the Rankin Campus of Hinds Community College in Pearl.
Over 200 students participated in this year’s competition. Students from local area schools include (see attached photos and cutlines).
TRAC™ is an education outreach program of the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and introduces students to a variety of career opportunities in the field of engineering. The program teaches students how to apply math and science concepts to help identify and resolve engineering barriers in the transportation industry.
MDOT utilizes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education as a learning tool in the program and provides each team with a TRAC™ Challenge Entry Kit, and materials and guidelines to construct a bridge. Each participating team submits a portfolio with their bridge design, a PowerPoint presentation and the strength-to-weight ratio of their bridge.
“This TRAC™ competition gives students the opportunity to learn about bridge building through hands-on experience,” said Jarrod Ravencraft, MDOT Public Affairs Director. “MDOT’s goal is to inspire young students to explore the world of engineering while they have fun learning about the functionality of bridges in a transportation system.”
During the competition, teams present PowerPoint presentations and test bridge models for mechanics and strength-to-weight ratio. The top three teams in each grade category are honored.
The 2018 State TRAC™ Bridge Challenge winners were announced in a program at the end of the annual event.
7th and 8th Grade:
First place – Blue Devil Titans, Booneville Middle School, Booneville, MS
Second place – NIGHKO, Moss Point Career and Technical Education Center, Moss Point, MS
Third place – Truss Us, Northwest Rankin Middle School, Brandon, MS
9th and 10th Grade:
First place – Lady Mustangs, Mantachie High School, Mantachie, MS
Second place – Bridge Builders, East Union Attendance Center, Blue Spring, MS
Third place – Stang Gang, Mantachie High School
11th and 12th Grade:
First Place – Bridge Life, Forrest County Agricultural High School, Brooklyn, MS
Second place – D.E.L.T.A, East Union Attendance Center
Third Place – BBB, Warren Central High School, Vicksburg, MS
The TRAC™ Bridge Challenge displays how Mississippi’s students are learning about transportation while excelling in STEM education. For more information about MDOT’s STEM education outreach programs, visit GoMDOT.com/stemeducation.
