Cupertino Schools Shine At 30th Annual Tech Challenge

CUPERTINO, CA -- The Tech Museum of Innovation held the annual Tech Challenge student engineering competition over the weekend. Out of a field of 2,500 students from around Northern California, Cupertino schools performed really well.

A team of students from Cupertino Middle School won the 6th grade division, and teams from Cupertino High School placed 1st and 3rd in the High School division.

Also, this year Cupertino High School's Allannah Ujifusa received the annual Bob Grimm Award for an Extraordinary Educator. The Bob Grimm Award trophy is a 3D print inspired by the famous ball machine that greets visitors from around the world at the doors of The Tech. He donated the machine because he wanted kids to be as curious about how things work as he was.

Grimm, a former mayor of Los Altos who died in 2015, not only helped support The Tech Challenge financially but was integral to the execution of the program. He helped design the challenges every year, hosting organizers at his Los Altos home. He was a strong supporter of education, spearheading campaigns to support local school districts and providing resources for STEM education.

The winners of the top awards during the competition were:

4th and 5th Grade Division:

Best Overall 1st Place

Team name: TRESPASSERS

School: The Harker School

Best Overall 2nd Place

Team name: Arctic Infusion

School: The Harker School

Best Overall 3rd Place

Team name: Highland Tech Masters

School: Highland Elementary

6th Grade Division:

Best Overall 1st Place

Team Name: Flaming Firebirds

School: Cupertino Middle School

Best Overall 2nd Place

Team name: Einstein Erasers

School: Miller (Joaquin) Middle School

Best Overall 3rd Place

Team name: Science Squad Team A

Schools: Warm Springs Elementary and Stratford School

7th and 8th Grade Division:

Best Overall 1st Place

Team name: A3R2MY

Schools: Peterson Middle School, Valley Christian Middle School, and Stratford School

Best Overall 2nd Place

Team name: Endless Potatoes

School: Charter School of Morgan Hill

Best Overall 3rd Place

Team name: Team Solo Bridge

School: Hopkins (William) Junior High School

High School Division:

Best Overall 1st Place

Team Name: Team Uh

School: Cupertino High School

Best Overall 2nd Place

Team name: Branson Bulls

School: The Branson School

Best Overall 3rd Place

Team name: The Reachers

School: Cupertino High School

Images via Tech Museum of Innovation