Personally, I think Philadelphia’s soft-spot for inventions may stem from our Ben Franklin pride. Regardless, as a city, it has often sponsored and encouraged scientific exploration and creativity. In April, students in 4th-12th grades (in different categories by age) will work in teams to create a Rube Goldberg-style machine that must successfully play a musical instrument. This contest is held by a local non-profit called CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia whose mission is to support arts and culturally diverse traditions. The event will be held in Ardmore with judges–each team will run its machine twice for the judges–and cash prizes. There are rules about number of steps each machine must have as well as restrictions on types of materials and power. If my engineer daughter (who is out of state finishing her last semester of college) were in town, I’m sure she’d want to go. If you haveor know a student who might be interested, please consider sharing this information!
This is a great challenge for students.