STEM students participate in junk box wars

YOUNGSTOWN — Usually adults discourage children from throwing their food, but STEM Explore is different.

During an activity today in the weeklong program at Youngstown State University, it was encouraged.

In Junk Box Wars, 34 sixth-through-eighth-graders from throughout the Mahoning Valley built catapults out of recycled materials. The catapults hurled a marshmallows through the air and into a target. The team to accumulate the most points won.

Sixth-graders Carlie DiRenzo of Austintown and Carli Osiniak of Lowellville, both 11, said the program is fun but they’re also learning.

They’re members of Terminators 2.0, an all-girl group that earned the most points in Junk Box Wars.

They used two plastic bottles, empty paper towel rolls with a rubber band wrapped around and stretched between the bottles.

“You need a rubber band,” Carlie explained. “It’s elastic and it stretches” launching the marshmallow.

Junk Box Wars followed a presentation earlier in the week about the importance of recycling.

Other activities during the week included 3D printing, building solar cars, bottle launchers and chemistry experiments.

For the complete story, read Saturday's Vindicator and Vindy.com