MESA Day is an annual engineering, math and science competition. MESA Day provides an opportunity for middle and high school students to design and build projects, win medals, learn by doing, visit a college campus and interact with each other. In addition, students get to interact with diverse college students, professors and industry professionals. MESA Day is a celebration of students' talent, hard work and interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
2023 MESA Day
Updated information coming soon
Competition Overview:
The components listed below will be used to assess the effective implementation of a Human-Centered Design approach, effective implementation of the Engineering Design Process, the functionality of the prototype, and successful integration of Arduino as the main component of the prototype.
- Technical Presentation & Interview – The objective is to provide an overview of the prototype functionality including a technical explanation of the mechanical operations, software operations, and integration of the two. Students will prepare a short presentation and demonstration of the functionality of the prototype followed by a question and answer session with judges.
- Poster & Symposium – The objective is to provide an overview of their project, highlighting key points of the design process including relevant data, presenting the resulting prototype, and share conclusions and recommendations for further development. Students will prepare a printed academic poster which can be used during a public poster symposium to provide an easily understood overview of the project and the prototype. The poster will also be required during the Technical Presentation & Interview.
- Project Report – The objective is to provide an overview of the design process and demonstrate team’s effective use of the Engineering Design Process. Students will write a 5-10 page report that contains their problem statement, summary of the design process, results, conclusion and next steps supported by pictures, charts, tables, and/or graphs. The report should be a journey through the design process and demonstrate key points of the process and why design choices were made. The report will have an appendix containing the commented Arduino code and detailed budget.
- Prototype Pitch – The top 3 middle and top 3 high schools will participate in this this section of the competition. The objective is to convince investors or management that the design meets the client’s needs, is superior to other options available, and has business value as a product. Students will prepare a creative, engaging presentation to pitch their prototype to an audience, including a group of judges. The presentation should define the problem; provide a detailed description of their client and their needs; discuss current solutions to the problem and their weaknesses; provide a demonstration of their prototype highlighting its advantages, and demonstrate the business value of the product including a market analysis and marketing plan.
Special thanks to:
- SW Washington Advisory Board Members
- WSU Vancouver Student Affairs and Enrollment
- Clark College Computer Science and Engineering Department
- Clark College MESA Program
- Hewlett Packard
Volunteer and sponsorship information
- Contact us if you would like to volunteer or sponsor MESA Day