May. 29, 2008 - Local students advance to world finals

Three Sampson G. Smith teams compete 

For the fourth consecutive year, teams of students from Franklin Township’s Sampson G. Smith School will participate in the Odyssey of the Mind competiton World Finals, which will be held Saturday to Tuesday at the University of Maryland.  Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative, problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.

The school had both a fifth-grade and sixth-grade team take first place in the balsa structure problem.  A sixth-grade team had the challenge of building a drivable vehicle using a non-lead battery, spending no more than $145. They used plywood, the handlebar from a broken scooter and wheels from a Tonka car. and ran it with 6-volt Alkaline batteries.

The sixth graders also built a structure that weighed in at under 18 grams, was less than 8 inches high and held 625 pounds. The team is currently holding more weight than any other team in the United States and has received the Ranatra Fusca award for using all recyclable material in their structure.

A schedule of events is available and you may watch the World Finals broadcast online. Learn more about this competition.

Congratulations to the kids of our Sampson G. Smith School.

Source: myCentralJersey.com