Students Advance to Construction Challenge Championships

Teens compete in a test of construction ingenuity for scholarships and prizes

Student competitors solve a construction challenge with limited resources and time at the Seattle regional competition.
Student competitors solve a construction challenge with limited resources and time at the Seattle regional competition.

Creative thinking and teamwork have earned middle and high school students from across the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas and compete in the national finals of the AEM Construction Challenge presented by Volvo Construction Equipment. At the event taking place March 21 through 25 at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show, 24 teams that won regional competitions will compete for scholarships and other prizes and have the opportunity to meet and learn from leaders in the construction industry.

Regional rallies gave students the chance to demonstrate their creative abilities and imagination as they vied to secure a spot in the national competition by building structures that related to transportation and water infrastructure.

"We saw amazing creativity and problem-solving skills from student teams at each of the rallies," said Volvo Senior Marketing and Program Specialist Paul Parker. "We look forward to bringing this next generation into the construction field to help meet infrastructure needs in North America and to solve problems we may not even be considering today."

Eight of the nine regional rallies were held on January 15 in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Enid, Okla., Milwaukee, Richmond, Seattle and Toronto. The Atlanta rally will be held on January 22. 

The teams advancing from the January 15 rallies are as follows:

Dallas Regional Rally

 Sponsored by ROMCO Equipment Company and Volvo Construction Equipment & Services (VCES) both Volvo CE dealerships

  • Pearce High School and Richardson High School, Dallas, TX – first place
  • Creekview Turner High School and Newman Smith High School, Carrollton, TX – second place
  • Cuero High School, Cuero, TX – third place

Enid Regional Rally 

Sponsored by G.W. Van Keppel Company, a Volvo CE dealership

  • Harding Charter Preparatory School, Oklahoma City, OK – first place
  • Lawrence High School, Lawrence, KS – second place

Milwaukee Regional Rally 

Sponsored by Aring Equipment Company and Volvo Construction Equipment & Services (VCES) both Volvo CE dealerships

  • Chippewa Falls Senior High School, Chippewa Falls, WI – first place
  • Lomira High School, Lomira, WI – second place

Toronto Regional Rally

Sponsored by Strongco Equipment, a Volvo CE dealership

  • Holy Trinity Catholic High School Simcoe, ON – tied for first place
  • Alexander MacKenzie High School, Richmond Hill, ON – tied for first place
  • St. Patrick Catholic High School, Toronto, ON – second place

Chicago Regional Rally

Sponsored by Caterpillar Inc.

  • Bartlett High School, Bartlett, IL – second place
  • Highland Park High School, Highland Park, IL – second place
  • Highland Park High School, Highland Park, IL – third place
  • Bartlett High School, Bartlett, IL – fourth place

Cincinnati Regional Rally

Sponsored by Caterpillar Inc.

  • Franklin County Career Technology Center, Frankfort, KY – first place
  • Miami Valley Career Technology Center, Clayton, OH – second place
  • William Henry Harrison High School, Harrison, OH – third place

Seattle Regional Rally

Sponsored by Caterpillar Inc.

  • Construction Careers Academy, Meridian High School, Bellingham, WA – first place
  • Lakewood High School, Marysville, WA – tied for second place
  • Dana Hills High School, Dana Point, CA – tied for second place

Richmond Regional Rally

  • Maggie Walker Governor's School, Richmond, VA – first place
  • Massanutten Regional Governor's School, Mt. Jackson, VA – second place

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) designed the Construction Challenge specifically to engage teens in an educational setting and spark interest in careers in the construction industry. The Challenge offers a chance for students, teachers, parents and community leaders to learn more about the scope and contributions of the construction industry and the need for skilled professionals to solve infrastructure problems such as crumbling bridges, overcrowded roadways and aging water and wastewater systems.

The Construction Challenge presented by Volvo Construction Equipment is a joint effort by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Destination ImagiNation (DI). Since its inception, the AEM Construction Challenge has directly engaged more than 10,000 middle and high school students across North America, and the program and its messages have made an impression on more than 18 million students globally. Nearly 70 percent of Challenge participants said they are now considering a construction career. AEM's support for the construction equipment industry is also demonstrated in the association's "I Make America" campaign that highlights the importance of infrastructure investment for the country's long-term prosperity.

AEM is the North American-based international trade group providing business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership is comprised of more than 800 companies and 200-plus product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, with offices in the capitals of Washington, D.C., Ottawa and Beijing, as well as a European presence in Brussels. For more information about AEM, visit www.aem.org.   For information about the challenge and construction careers, visit: http://www.constructionchallenge.org/index.phpwww.ConstructionChallenge.com.

 

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