December 20th deadline for K-12 teams to register

Storm The Citadel competitions are almost as exhilarating to watch as they are to participate in. There are object flying through the air, launched by tiny (or huge) trebuchets. There are speeding water bottle rockets. There is a bridge building contest and Lego robotic competitions too.

After a COVID-19 hiatus, Storm The Citadel is back, scheduled to be held on campus Saturday, Feb. 12, in Charleston, South Carolina. Teachers and team leaders are already preparing.

Oh yes, it is fun, but it is the brain-building lessons in science, technology, engineering and mathematics leading up to the competitions, and the learnings that stick with students long after, that make Storm The Citadel especially worthwhile.

Registration information

Teams comprised of students from grades K – 12 come from across South Carolina, as well as other states in southeast. Their teachers use the competition preparation in classrooms as hands-on, curriculum-enhancing lessons, that also help students learn to work as a team.

The Citadel STEM Center of Excellence encourages teachers and team leaders to register now for Storm The Citadel 2022, by going to this link. The last day to register is Dec. 20, 2021. There are virtual training sessions for teachers and coaches new to Storm The Citadel, along with funding to help the public school teams buy supplies and travel to campus.

The event, which draw hundreds of students, teachers, coaches, parents and spectators each year, was developed in 2011 with help from Jennifer Albert, Ph.D., director for the STEM Center of Excellence. Albert specializes in STEM educational evaluation and research, with an emphasis on K-16 computer science education, science education, educational assessment, and STEM classroom implementation. Albert also recently received a Fulbright grant award to do research in Australia.

Other STEM Center events

The Citadel STEM Center of Excellence hosts numerous events and camps serving students and educators. A list of upcoming events is below, or can be found at this link.

Need to borrow some Ozobots?

The Center also has materials for teachers in the Lowcountry to check out to use with their students, such as Ozobots, Micro:bits and Squishy Circuits. The list of available materials and the form to request them can be found here.

About The Citadel STEM Center of Excellence

The STEM Center at The Citadel works to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce. A collaborative effort of The Citadel’s Schools of Education, Engineering, and Science & Mathematics, The STEM Center delivers outreach initiatives to increase P-20 student interest, participation, and opportunities in the STEM disciplines and develop innovative programming related to teacher preparation and professional development activities. The STEM Center also supports The Citadel’s efforts to produce more graduates who are poised to become successful leaders in the STEM fields.