On Thursday, February 20, 2025, the Upper School (US) 3D-Engineering (3D-E) Club and the Imperatore Library co-hosted the annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge at D-E in recognition of National Engineers Week. US and Middle School (MS) students participated in the project, which consisted of building a landing pad for a paper rocket, meant to emulate the design of a “rocket catcher” in the real world.

“[The Project] teaches students to think critically… a lot of the work is about testing and learning from failure.”

Jackson Chang ’25, a 3D-E student leader, remarked that rocket catchers are currently being used by SpaceX, so this challenge represented a “practical application of engineering prowess.” This project, he added, “gives people–in a kid-friendly way–the opportunity to dabble in engineering design.”

D-E Innovation Coordinator Colleen Larionoff, who facilitated the challenge for the MS students, said this interactive activity “teaches students to think critically… a lot of the work is about testing and learning from failure.” Furthermore, the cross-divisional aspect of the challenge allows older students to mentor the younger students, she noted.

Seventh grader Ken E. ’30, said he decided to participate in the challenge because “I feel like it’s an opportunity for collaboration… and now that I’m immersed in it, it seems fun.”

Ms. Larionoff said that these activities are a great example of “innovation in action” because they aren’t tied to a class, and this gives students more freedom to explore and make mistakes, without worrying about being graded on the outcome.

It also exemplifies the spirit of community at D-E, she reflected: “It’s a fun event that brings people together…which helps to promote better habits of mind and better attitudes around our STEM programming.”