From Trashbots to Wearable Tech, Meet the Six MCPS Schools on Their Way to the MESA State Competition

After receiving first place in their divisions at the regional competition, William Tyler Page Elementary School, Roberto W. Clemente Middle School, Hallie Wells Middle School, Albert Einstein High School, John F. Kennedy High School and Paint Branch High School will represent MCPS at the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) state competition on May 3 at Johns Hopkins University. In partnership with the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University, MESA supports students in grades 3-12 to spark their interest in STEM education and STEM careers.

This year, teams could select from the following challenges:

• Storybook Theme Park – Students design and make a functional model of a theme park ride based on a storybook of the team’s choosing. For elementary school teams. 
• Planetary Lander – Students design a lander that allows astronauts to land successfully on another world.
• Wearable Technology – Students design, build and demonstrate a wearable device to help new parents monitor infants’ respiration rate. 
• Community Clean Up – Students design the newest environmental superhero to defend their community against litter.
• National Engineering Design Competition (NEDC) – Students identify a local issue in their community, engineer a solution, develop a prototype and present their final device. This challenge is for middle and high school teams. 

During the state competition, students have the opportunity to answer questions about their projects, as well as explore the work of other teams. 

“The event is a great opportunity for students to get inspiration, give and receive feedback, and interact with other students,” said Erin Radebe, resource teacher at Kennedy High School. 

Teams must place first at both the regional and state competitions to compete in the MESA National Engineering Design Competition, which takes place in June. 

 - Meet the Teams - 

Planetary Lander Challenge 

• School Name: William Tyler Page Elementary School 
• Teacher: Ayesha Jeter, Math Focus Teacher
• Students: Alina (5th grade), Aymon (5th grade), Jayden (5th grade) and Miles (5th grade) 
• About the Project: This team (J.A.A.M, which are the kids’ initials) designed a circular lander, attaching a parachute to a 3D printer. The alien passengers (two ping pong balls) have to “land” without falling out. “We are nervous about the competition but feel confident that our team worked hard to make the perfect lander,” said the students. 

• School Name: Roberto Clemente Middle School 
• Teacher: Chelsea Smith, Science Teacher
• Students: Geb (8th grade) and Austin (8th grade)
• About the Project: This team refined their lander so that a parachute and a self-deploying leg system could absorb the force of the landing impact. “Thinking about the design was very challenging,” said Geb. “Testing it out was difficult because we went through so many different designs. There's been a lot of trial and error.” Austin added: “I'm excited about showcasing our design because one of the regional judges said our leg design was unique, and I want to see what the Applied Physics Lab judges think.” 

• School Name: Albert Einstein High School 
• Teacher: Blaise Kapombe, Business Education Teacher
• Students: Cora Deslich-Miller (Sophomore), Anna Morasch (Senior) and Anjali Shah (Senior)
• About the Project: This team used the engineering design process to design and build an expanding structure that would allow astronauts to land successfully on the surface of another world. Through this project-based team competition, the students experienced engineering, physics and many more STEM disciplines while developing strong communication and collaboration skills. “I am proud of what our students have accomplished. All credits go to Cora, Anna and Anjali for their creativity and resilience,” Kapombe said.  

Storybook Theme Park Challenge 

• School Name: William Tyler Page Elementary School 
• Teacher: Ayesha Jeter, Math Focus Teacher
• Students: Autumn (5th grade), Kaia (5th grade), Katya (5th grade) and Susana (5th grade) 
• About the Project: This team (The Cookie Crew) created a carousel based on a cookbook about cookies. The passengers (a golf ball, marble and two ping pong balls) have to ride the carousel without falling out. “‘To be early is to be on time!’’ We kept saying this to stay focused on the challenge. We were the first Storybook group at our school to finish. We are so excited to go to the MESA state competition,” said the students. 

Community Clean Up Challenge 

• School Name: Hallie Wells Middle School 
• Teacher: Dustin Deem, Science Teacher
• Students: Nick (6th grade), Prithvi (7th grade) and Pranav (7th grade)
• About the Project: This team designed a superhero-themed robot, Sir Cleans-a-Lot, which is an amphibious, solar-powered hovercraft that fights pollution on both land and water. Sir Cleans-a-Lot uses ultrasonic sensors to detect nearby trash and autonomously collects it into a reusable garbage sack. Built with mostly recycled materials and powered by renewable energy, the robot was inspired by Baltimore’s Trash Wheel family. “The students are definitely a mix of excited, proud and a little nervous — which is totally expected at this level of competition. For many of them, this is the first time presenting a STEM project beyond our school community, so it’s a big deal,” said Deem.

• School Name: John F. Kennedy High School 
• Teacher: Erin Radebe, IB Diploma Programme Teacher 
• Students: Danny (Junior), Dayana (Junior), Maddie (Junior), Sylvia (Junior) and Blanca (Junior)
• About the Project: This team designed and built a trash robot, KIMMY. KIMMY removes by remote to scoop up softball-sized trash indoors and outdoors. It’s built with recyclable materials and has a microprocessor coded by the students. “The students are excited to see the projects from across Maryland. It is an incredible opportunity to present at a prestigious institution and to get to showcase their hard work from this year,” said Radebe.

Wearable Technology Challenge 

• School Name: Hallie Wells Middle School 
• Teacher: Dustin Deem, Science Teacher
• Students: Annika (7th grade), Laasya (7th grade), Anvitha (8th grade) and Ishita (8th grade)
• About the Project: This team designed Breathe with Ease, Baby (B.E.B) to address infant respiratory health by engineering a soft, sensor-equipped baby belt that tracks breathing using a micro:bit and accelerometer. What sets B.E.B. apart is its Bluetooth connectivity, which streams real-time respiration data to a smartphone. If the infant’s breathing rate falls outside the normal range, the system immediately sounds and sends alerts, helping caregivers take quick action. With a tested accuracy of over 95% and a comfortable, safety-conscious design, this device has the potential to be a life-saving solution for at-risk newborns. “The students are looking forward to sharing their hard work with others, seeing what other teams have built and hopefully inspiring more students to explore engineering and technology,” said Deem.

• School Name: Paint Branch High School 
• Teacher: Tashia Tillett, Engineering, Business, and Art Department Resource Teacher
• Students: Naomi (Junior), Neeraja (Junior), Karima (Junior) and Raee (Junior)
• About the Project: This team designed B.R.E.A.T.H. through a micro:bit that sits within the baby’s swaddle. It monitors the baby’s breath rate and connects to an app which sets off an alarm when the breath rate is off. The team went through several iterations to make sure the device was the right specs and the alarm was loud enough. They also coded the app which allows for data collection. “The opportunity to participate in MESA has been monumental in strengthening my research, critical thinking and problem solving skills. I am grateful for being able to be a part of an amazing team and would like to thank Johns Hopkins APL for making this possible,” said Neeraja. 

National Engineering Design Competition (NEDC) Challenge 

• School Name: John F. Kennedy High School 
• Teacher: Erin Radebe, IB Diploma Programme Teacher 
• Students: Abim (Sophomore),  Finn (Sophomore), Julien (Senior), Katie (Senior), Maria (Sophomore) and Ramona (Sophomore)
• About the Project: This team designed and constructed a pair of 3D printed glasses for those who are visually impaired, which warns the user of people/animals/objects moving around or toward the user. Using the feedback from regionals, all of the wiring and technical components are now contained within the glasses. "MESA was a great way for me to explore my interests in STEM and pursue those interests to a higher degree,” Abim said. “It also allowed me to work with fellow students who are passionate about engineering design on a professional project. There were many setbacks along the way but overall, it was a great experience and I'm looking forward to attending states in May and participating again next year."