Governor Lingle Announces Hawaii Winners In U.S. Department Of Energy's "Real World Design Challenge"

February 17, 2009 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle today announced the top three winning high school teams that recently competed in the first annual state competition of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Real World Design Challenge (RWDC). A team from ‘Iolani School, the “NDC”, was declared the Hawai‘i State Champion and will go on to Washington, D.C., next month to compete with other state champions in the National RWDC Competition. The Kalani High Falcons took third place, while ‘Iolani School’s Delta Force came in second.

Sponsored through a partnership between the State of Hawai‘i and the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Aviation Administration, Parametric Technology Corporation, the Cessna Company, the Hewlett-Packard Corporation, the Boeing Company, and Mentor Graphics (formerly Flomerics, Inc.), the RWDC is a national learning program that challenges teams of teachers and students to develop innovative solutions to significant technical problems as defined by the aerospace industry.

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For the past three months, 14 teams from nine high schools across the state – Farrington, Kalani, ‘Iolani, Castle, Campbell, Waipahu, Nanakuli, Sacred Hearts, and Anuenue – took part in this competition working with professional mentors at the Department of Energy’s national energy laboratories, the Federal Aviation Administration, and aerospace companies nationwide to formulate their solution to the design challenge. Teachers supporting the student teams were provided access to technical training and advanced engineering software that could be used to assist the students in developing their design.

This year’s challenge presented high school teams with detailed specifications and performance capabilities of an existing twin-engine jet aircraft, and then asked students to redesign the plane to improve its fuel efficiency without drastically reducing the load capacity, flying time, or any other characteristics of the original aircraft.

In order to succeed, teams were challenged to balance the competing forces of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures and controls, with each particular element of the redesign process being assigned to an individual team member. Success depended on strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills – in combination with effective, innovative and sustained teamwork.

Governor Lingle applauded the efforts of all students, teachers and mentors who engaged in this competition, noting that the RWDC is helping Hawai‘i’s youth obtain the critical STEM skills they will need to succeed in their professional careers, while helping to develop a diversified, innovation-based economy.

“Innovation is a key component in growing our economy and ensuring our workforce has the skills and knowledge to succeed in an increasingly competitive global market,” Governor Lingle said. “The Real World Design Challenge is another innovative hands-on learning program that provides our students with opportunities to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM skills, to develop solutions to actual challenges facing our industries.”

Governor Lingle also stressed that the RWDC is making a long-term investment in Hawai‘i’s educators.

“Teachers inspire innovation in our youth,” the Governor said. “They are an important part of expanding the role that science, technology, engineering and math play in building an economy where everyone can prosper. The millions of dollars of leading-edge software and access to industry experts provided through the RWDC is helping our state enhance students’ STEM skills and analytical thinking capabilities, which in turn will help us build a stronger economy statewide.”

Hawai‘i was chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy in October 2008 to be one of 10 founding states to launch this national education initiative. The other states are Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

The RWDC is being coordinated in Hawai‘i through the STEM Workforce Development Program Office at the University of Hawai‘i. For additional information, please contact Jeff Bloom, State RWDC coordinator, at 371-6600.

Source: Hawaii Governor