Several Mars Area School District students competed as members of the Mars Robotics Association team at the Rube Goldberg 2023 Machine Contest Live: Western PA Regionals, held March 11 at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

The Alien Tech team, made up of Mars Area Centennial School fifth-grader Bryson Stuber and Mars Area Elementary School fourth-graders Tyler DeWitt and Graham Rodgers as well as non-District students Charles Broeren, Colton Slater, Bayla McChesney, Finley McChesney and Niko Mazreku, earned the trophies for Best Artistry and Best Final Step.

The Mars Space Pioneers 4-H STEAM team, members of which included Mars Area Middle School eighth-graders Rose Snow and Alexis Spuntack and seventh-graders Bailey Jackson and Jocelynn Spuntack; Mars Area Centennial School fifth-grader Emmalynn Spuntack; and non-District students Preston Grace and Tyis Van Iegem, received the Best First Step and Most Rube trophies.

The contest challenged teams to build a STEM-inspired machine to assemble a Lunchables sandwich utilizing recycled materials and team members’ imagination.

Also of note, Mars Area Middle School seventh-grader Bailey Jackson, Butler County Dairy Promotion Dairy Miss; Mars Area High School junior Daisy Snow and Mars Area Middle School eighth-grader Rose Snow, both Dairy Maids; and Mars Area Centennial School fifth-grader A.J. Snow, Dairy Ambassador, also attended the event to educated children on health dietary choices and the importance of milk and dairy products.

For details, visit https://pittsburghkids.org/event/rube-goldberg-2023-machine-contest-live-western-pa-regionals/.