A team of three 9th graders at Marshall County High School in Benton is developing a device to more effectively combat fires, and their work has won them a week's trip to DC to compete in a national competition, the U.S. Army-sponsored eCYBERMISSION. On Sounds Good, Kate Lochte asks Marshall Co. High School science teacher Lisa Devillez to explain how the students got involved and she asks the students to describe the device and explain what it does.
Listen to the conversation:
The students call the device "Titan." It looks like a steel soccer ball with small holes drilled on each plane. They go up against 9th grade teams from Illinois, Virginia, New Mexico and Hawaii in the national competition in Washington DC. The eCYBERMISSION competition challenges students to identify real-world problems and great solutions using science, technology, engineering, and math or what's called STEM disciplines.
City of Benton fire chief and Assistant Harry Green and Duane Hawes also speak with Kate Lochte about the invention. The 9th grade students are Max Chambers, Will McGee and Hunter Peck. Their teacher is Lisa Devillez. The National Science Teachers Association, which administers the competition, encourages students to develop solutions to real-world challenges in their communities.
See the students demonstrate the Titan:
