University of Guam
CNAS STEM Challenge
College of Natural and Applied
Sciences (CNAS) STEM Challenge
UOG Fieldhouse
Saturday, May 16, 2015 9am
www.uog.edu
4-H STEM Challenge
Quick Start Guide
Contents
Welcome…………………………………………………..2
Challenge Overview…………………………………….2
Timeline……………………………………………………3
Teams…………………….………………………………..4
Team Members
Coach
Mentors
The Challenge……………………………………………5
Rubrics…………………………………………………….6
Awards…………………………………………………….7
Acknowledgements…………………………………….8
WELCOME
Welcome to the University of Guam 4-H Program STEM
Challenge.
CHALLENGE OVERVIEW
Students will work with their teachers and STEM
professionals to solve the 2015 STEM Challenge. Students
must detail the solution to their problem using the
engineering design and showcase a sketch and/or model of
the solution they have devised. For details on the challenge
see page 9.
Timeline
All materials are available on UOG Sea Grant website:
www.uog.edu/seagrant
March – Challenge problem revealed!
April – Time to work on the solution and meet with
relevant experts in the field.
May – Solutions revealed at STEM Expo at UOG Field
House.
Teams
Team Members
Teams may include 3-4 youth, grades 6 and above. Teams are
encourage to be comprise of coed members,
Limiting your team to four members may be difficult, but it
provides the optimal small group experience. If you have
more than four youth interested in joining the STEM team,
consider starting a second team or use a selection process to
decide who may participate on your team.
Coach
The role of a Coach is to inspire the team and help
them get excited about the science of agriculture.
Coaches give teams guidance and provide structure
Young people become problem solvers by finding
solutions themselves. We understand that adults can be
just as passionate about SOAR as children, but adults
must always remember that the young people come
, encouragement, and most of all, a fun experience. They
meet regularly with the team and guide them in
developing goals and a timeline. The coach serves as the
facilitator to help the team complete its work and
improve the way team members work together. Coaches
guide the process while the youth control the content.
Team members must make all decisions and do all the
work. This includes deciding on the issue, researching,
choosing an innovative solution, and presenting at the
Challenge.
Does this mean you should stand idly by while your team
struggles? Absolutely not! Instead of telling the team how
to solve a problem, try asking questions like:
What would happen if...? And then...?
How will that affect...?
Coordinator
The Coordinator serves as the liaison between team
members, Coaches, Mentors, parents, other volunteers,
and 4-H program staff. They work with the Coach to plan
and schedule meetings, visits, and trips. The
Coordinator ensures that policies and risk management
requirements are followed, accurate financial records
are kept, and teams are registered. They also ensure that
volunteers and supporters are recognized.
Mentor
A mentor is any person who works with the team in his or
her area of expertise for at least one team meeting, but
the most effective mentor relationship is one that
continues over time. Mentors help expose the team
members to potential careers in addition to helping them
learn the skills necessary to complete the STEM
Challenge. The most important quality for a mentor is
someone who enjoys working with young people and
wants them to learn.
When recruiting Mentors, consider their ability to work
with the STEM age group. They need to be role models
and commit to the values of 4-H youth development. Talk
to them about:
-Adapting their knowledge to an appropriate level for
the team members;
-The team’s goals, the timeline, and structure of the
meetings;
-Guiding the team to find the answers to their own
questions; and
_The importance of acknowledging all team
members, getting everyone to contribute and participate,
providing positive feedback, and encouraging responses.
-Guiding the team to find the answers to their own
questions; and
_The importance of acknowledging all team
members, getting everyone to contribute and participate,
providing positive feedback, and encouraging responses.
Potential sources for mentors might include:
o Companies in your community. Many companies
encourage their employees to volunteer, and some
even have formal programs to match volunteers with
groups in the community.
o Commodity or agricultural-oriented organizations.
Think about Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS), United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Farmers Union, commodity groups, Guam
Farmers Cooperative, etc.
o Engineering firms have expertise in water and natural
resource issues
o Guam Waterworks Authority or Guam Power
Authority
o National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
o UOG Marine Laboratory professors
o Guam Visitors Bureau
o Guam Chamber of Commerce
o Parents and relatives of your team members
The Challenge
The 2015 Guam Stem Challenge has a defined
problem statement.
Scenario:
Sea level rise is forecasted to effect the islands in the Western Pacific
drastically. Scientists have identified projections that sea levels will rise between 1-3
inches over the next decade. This will impact Guam and our neighboring islands in a
multitude of ways, including local food supplies (fish and vegetables) and recreational
use of shorelines.
Prompts:
How will rising tides and sea levels effect
1. the water table and agriculture resources
2.tourism
3. coral reefs and fish availability
Your Challenge:
Identify a solution that addresses this problem in the next ten (10) years by choosing
one of the following:
1. cybersecurity (how can you use cyber-related methods to track resources)
2. agriculture (what solutions can you identify that will increase agricultural
productivity on island and/or secure agriculture resources from being over utilized)
3. Economic and environmental survivability (maintaining tourism while reducing
impacts on coral reefs and shoreline resources)
Must include references and cite sources that guided solution to problem
Each team will be allowed to spend up to $250 for supplies related to the event at
Home Depot, Bensons and/or Guam Home Center. Contact Cliff Kyota for more
information on purchasing. 735.2044 or [email protected]
Rubrics
Rubrics can be found online at eCybermission
Grading Rubrics:
https://www.ecybermission.com/files/helpdocs/Rubri
c_Experimental_Design_ED.pdf
Awards
The three teams to score the highest based on rubric
evaluations will be awarded the 2015 STEM
Challenge Winner title!
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the planning team which included
representatives from:
 UOG Cooperative Extension (Agriculture and
Natural Resources, 4H, & Sea Grant)
 UOG School of Education
 UOG Math Department
 Brown and Caldwell Engineering