Harwood Middle School team aces STEM contest with creative trash-handling pitch
Jan. 15, 2022 | By Lauren Milideo | Correspondent 
tudent team members left to right: Sydney Schiller, Camille Edgcomb, Cora Potts, David Rodgers, Jesse Carst, Claire Nagurney, Dahlia Jordan, Lena Tautfest, Harmony DeVoe. Not pictured are Ben Goldhammer and Jane Schaefer.
Courtesy photo
Seventh-grade students in Angela Selvaggio’s Harwood Union Middle School science class were among 100 state winners of a national STEM contest recently with an idea to address human impacts on nearby natural areas.
The Solve for Tomorrow Contest sponsored by the Samsung corporation challenges students to address a sustainability-related problem in their communities using STEM skills. Selvaggio’s class chose to focus on finding ways to confront the impacts of increased use by locals and tourists at popular outdoor recreation areas.
“The winning idea involves designing a waste receptacle that secures trash from bears and other wildlife, incorporates recycling, and possibly compost,” explained Selvaggio in an email about the project. Another aspect of the students’ plan includes designing and placing signs in recreation locations to encourage better stewardship of the land and water.
The class began to discuss the contest in November. “The discussion was fiery and passionate!” the teacher recalled.
Eventually, the students began to focus on changes that were within reach. “The consensus of the group landed on the topic of education and waste management at our loved recreation areas,” Selvaggio explained.
Student Harmony Belle Devoe described the process: “We got our idea by brainstorming and just saying our ideas out loud and writing them down, and then we chose which one we thought was most important and feasible.”
It wasn’t long after they submitted their proposal that they heard back in mid-December. Gobsmacked was a fair assessment of their reaction to the news. “Our reaction to finding out we won was really funny. Everyone was just staring at the email not knowing how to respond,” said student Cora Potts. “We were just sitting in silence until the moment of realization came that we had won.”
Devoe told how the excitement dawned on them as they read the email with the exciting news projected onto a whiteboard. “Some people hugged. Some people yelled out of joy and shock, and some people just smiled and said, ‘yay!’” Devoe’s reaction? “I laughed and then said ‘well, that's cool!’"
Selvaggio’s middle-schoolers were Vermont’s only winning team. As state winners, they will receive $6,500 to be redeemed on DonorsChoose.org, a website that allows schools to request items such as technology and classroom supplies.
The next phase of the competition is the selection of 10 national finalist schools. For this portion of the contest, the students will create a functional prototype and use video equipment (also awarded as part of the state prize) to create a video about their idea. The students have been assigned a mentor from Samsung, and they will take part in digital storytelling webinars, Selvaggio explained.
The video submissions are due by early March. Once finalists are chosen, voting will happen to narrow down the contenders with final judging at an in-person event in New York City in April if COVID-19 circumstances allow.
If selected, the Harwood students will pitch their project to judges. Seven of the national finalist schools will receive supplies and technology worth $50,000, with $100,000 in supplies and technology going to three top winning schools. Online voting and Samsung employee votes will determine the winners of two more $10,000 prizes to national finalists. The top three national finishers also win a trip to Washington D.C. in May.
“Being selected as one of the 2021-22 state winners was awesome because it told us that our dreams and ambitions can come true if we try hard and work well together,” Devoe said. “If we won this contest, it would mean a lot to us and be a great opportunity for the school.”
While further perks and prizes are possible, the state-level win has already provided far more than equipment and supplies. “Given all the barriers that school has been dealing with over the last two years, this has added some spunk and spark,” Selvaggio said.
She credits her students for their hard work. “There are thoughtful, creative and involved students at HUMS, and this contest is providing an opportunity for them to challenge themselves authentically and shine,” she said.
As part of the process for the project, Selvaggio and her class have already made local connections that they hope can create change in their community. They recently met on Zoom with Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Eric Friedman and Friends of the Mad River Stewardship Manager Ira Shadis.
“It was an invigorating meeting as the students and community partners listened to each other’s ideas, brainstormed, and thought about possible solutions to the impacts of increased use at recreational areas and environmental stewardship,” said Selvaggio. “This conversation really helped students understand how their ideas can make a difference and effect change in our local community.”
The experience so far has enough momentum that Selvaggio said she suspects could see it through regardless of whether it gets further recognition from the competition. “We were all inspired by the conversation and collaboration and want to continue developing this project regardless of what happens with our standing in the Samsung Challenge contest,” she said.