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STEM Academy Students Win Big in Prestigious Steam Tank Challenge!

The STEM Academy STEAM Team, aptly named “E.CO2” recently participated in this year’s annual statewide STEAM Tank Challenge and received glowing accolades for their amazing original concept! The team, consisting of STEM seniors Duaa Raza, Raneem Ahmad, Kyra Macvaugh, Victoria Mistretta, and Andrea Vizcarra recently presented their innovative project to a panel of experts judges. The result… a huge WIN for our amazing students!

With over 240 teams entered in the highly competitive statewide competition, our incredible students garnered a well-deserved second place finish. Our E.CO2 team worked hard on an original idea that proposed using a bacterium to breakdown unrecyclable plastic that usually ends up in the landfills - a significant percentage of plastics are not recyclable and are rejected by recycling plants to be disposed of in landfills.  The team’s solution is a product utilizing e-Coli to breakdown plastics. 

The goal was to invent something unique, modify and adapt an existing creation, or identify a real-world problem or condition that needs attention. This year’s virtual competition challenged students to use the digital environment in their creativity and our team was up to the task!

The STEAM Tank Challenge, which was created by the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) and is sponsored by the U.S. Army, encourages students to apply science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in response to critical issues facing the world today. It lets students contribute to making the country sustainable, healthy, equitable, and safe.

We are so very proud of our STEM Academy STEAM Team E.CO2 and commend them on their amazing hard work and dedication in setting a standard of excellence for those who follow.



STEM Academy Seniors Duaa Raza (Wayne), Raneem Ahmad (Clifton), Kyra Macvaugh (Wayne), Victoria Mistretta (Wayne), and Andrea Vizcarra (Paterson)