By: Taylor Smith, Student Reporter
The gymnasium at Denali Middle School was buzzing with electricity this past Friday—literally! Over 100 students gathered to showcase their innovative projects at our first annual 'Summit' STEM Fair, turning the gym into a massive laboratory of middle school brilliance.
From erupting papier-mâché volcanoes to fully coded video games, the event highlighted the incredible creativity of the Denali student body. The highlight of the afternoon was the 8th-grade robotics competition, where student-engineered rovers had to navigate an obstacle course made entirely of recycled cafeteria milk cartons.
"I was blown away by what our students came up with," said Principal Miller, who spent the afternoon testing out a student-made hovercraft. "They didn't just learn about science and math; they actually applied it to solve real-world problems. That’s the Denali spirit."
First prize went to seventh-graders Maya and Leo, who designed a water-filtration system using sand, charcoal, and coffee filters. They hope to present their model at the regional science fair next month.
The 'Summit' STEM Fair proved that when Denali Middle School students set their minds to something, there's no mountain they can't climb. A huge congratulations to all the participants, and we can't wait to see what you build next year!