Montgomery County 4-H students Kai Huang (left) and Elijah Jenkins (right) compete in the 2012 Maryland Aerospace Challenge.
Image Credit: Cathy Dobos
Two students with the University of Maryland Extension 4-H program will get a chance to test their mettle against engineering enthusiasts from across the country next month. John Schepis and Marlena Nothwehr, both 16-year-olds from Montgomery County, won the Maryland Aerospace Challenge July 16. The competition was held at the Montgomery County Extension Office as well as the Montgomery County Fairgrounds and included an aerodynamics exam, a build-a-rocket session using pre-selected parts, a safe rocket launch to a minimum of 200 feet, as well as a demonstration on the contestants’ rocket designs and flights. John and Marlena will now go on to represent Maryland 4-H at the National 4-H Engineering Challenge in Indiana September 23 – 25. The state competition included 4-H members aged eight and up but only those 14 and older were eligible to move on to the national level.
Montgomery County Extension volunteers and staff worked hard to bring the Aerospace Challenge back to the Maryland 4-H program this year. Maryland 4-H had not hosted the event since 2008 due to a lack of facility space. Organizers hope to expand the competition next year and to attract more 4-H members from outside of Montgomery County.
4-H is a program of University of Maryland Extension. For more information, visit www.maryland4h.org.
