The New Jersey School Board’s Association’s STEAM Tank Entrepreneurial Challenge was designed to inspire, engage and motivate New Jersey public school students to build problem-solving skills, collaborate with peers and understand the importance of connecting with mentors and subject matter experts. Teams draw on creativity and ingenuity to solve a real-world problem, invent something new, or modify an existing product in a sustainable way.
STEAM Tank motivates students to go beyond traditional classroom boundaries to enrich their educational experience through community engagement and build 21st century skills. It is more than a competition – it is a year-round, free K-12 educational experience for New Jersey public school students. The challenge encourages students to find solutions to pressing local or global problems. It is open to students of various abilities and academic interests. STEAM Tank is an opportunity for students to reimagine and redesign New Jersey to ensure our state is sustainable, healthy, equitable and safe for everyone to live, work and play.
One of the reasons why the STEAM Tank Challenge is so powerful is that it very well may be the the only STEAM program managed by a state school board association in the country. New Jersey is the first state in the nation to adopt standards geared toward teaching students about climate and how it impacts local and global communities, and the STEAM Tank Challenge serves as a model for exemplary practices in STEM/STEAM, highlighting how innovation can enhance student learning.
With over 8,000 New Jersey school board members, the program provides a platform for our board members to recognize the transformative value of STEM/STEAM education and to allocate resources needed to integrate STEM and STEAM initiatives at the district level. The challenge provides examples and desired outcomes to guide goal setting and policy development, encouraging collaboration between educators and community members to promote STEAM education. Also, board members can advocate for STEM /STEAM opportunities in underserved districts, ensuring all New Jersey students can benefit from the STEAM Tank Challenge.
The NJSBA spearheads the program to demonstrate the integration of STEM/STEAM and social emotional learning, which considers the human condition in engineering design and leadership. The STEAM Tank Challenge is preparing students for an interconnected world that recognizes the importance of equity and access for all K-12 learners in New Jersey public schools. According to Dr. Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO of NJSBA. “We’ve been overwhelmed by positive comments from students, educators and partners who have participated in past years, and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new class to the STEAM Tank Challenge family.”
Since 2015, the challenge has engaged over 2,500 student teams and more than 13,000 students participating from hundreds of schools and districts across the state. STEAM Tank has been the focus of two important studies in the past three years:
Harvard’s PEAR Institute (2021/2022), which measured the impact of STEM /STEAM identity, employment, engagement, career knowledge and interest, critical thinking, perseverance, relationships with adults and peers and student development.
Rutgers University’s Safe Schools program (2023), which measured the success, benefits, challenges and limitations of STEAM Tank during a virtual synchronous format during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PEAR study (Harvard University), facilitated by Dr. Stephanie Dale, proved increasing levels of engagement for a greater number of students can be achieved through informed and pedagogical design. High quality STEM/STEAM programming such as the STEAM Tank Challenge effectively engages students and broadens STEM/STEAM pathways toward pursuing those subjects in college and seeking STEM/STEAM careers. Additionally, when measured against similar K-12 STEM/STEAM programs across the United States, STEAM Tank ranked higher than the national average in every category.
Furthermore, the Rutgers University Safe Schools study, led by Dr. Derek Shendell, concluded STEAM Tank helped the learning process during COVID -19 and bolstered academic performance. Additionally, teachers clearly believed the STEAM Tank helped to teach the concepts of STEM/STEAM as well as climate change and sustainability. These studies demonstrate the relevance and need for the STEAM Tank Challenge and highlight the ability of the program to promote social-emotional learning, creativity, critical thinking, equity, inclusion and sustainability.
STEAM Tank is a hybrid model program that ensures all students regardless of zip code can participate in the challenge. The virtual component allows all New Jersey public school students to engage with STEAM education and allows free unlimited access to subject matter experts, mentors and judges who are the backbone of the program.
Our volunteer mentors, subject matter experts and judges believe that by helping students, their involvement can make a difference in their trajectory. Also, they know that their respective skillsets can foster a love for learning and problem solving while contributing to the greater good of New Jersey’s public education system. The mentoring aspect of the challenge creates a supportive environment based on respect, trust and empathy.
STEAM Tank mentors provide teams with insight into a variety of career pathways while providing constructive feedback, guidance and encouragement, so they can flourish on their STEAM Tank journey. Our mentors have contributed to the challenge as indicated in the PEAR Institute study (Harvard University), as mentoring components scored higher than the national average surveyed. When mentors create a trusting and collaborative culture, learning becomes contagious.
Our community partners and educational organizations include subject matter experts in specific content areas. For example, the American Institute of Architects New Jersey provides volunteer architects and engineers, the New Jersey Department of Education provides subject matter experts in STEM and computer science, the U.S. Army provides STEM fellows and state universities provide subject matter experts in biology, health and marine sciences. Collectively, our mentors, subject matter experts and judges donate hundreds of hours of their time over the course of the school year and represent a balanced cross section from the public and private sectors.
Teams can enter the STEAM Tank Challenge through various pathways, such as before- and after-school clubs, STEM and engineering clubs, science projects, integration of STEAM Tank in science curriculum and Capstone courses for high school students. STEAM Tank also puts the “A” in STEAM, recognizing that to be successful in technical fields, individuals must also be creative and use design, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that are enhanced through exposure to the arts.
Schools with integrated arts and technology programs can adapt STEAM Tank as needed to allow diverse student participation. This approach highlights the flexibility of STEAM Tank and shows how school districts can tailor the program as they see fit.
Celebrating Success The STEAM Tank extends far beyond the four walls of the classroom, with teams receiving recognition at the national level. Teams from both Manasquan and Ridgewood high schools were chosen as MIT Lemelson InvenTeam winners in 2018/19 and 2020, showcasing their STEAM Tank inventions.
Several middle school teams were recognized by the Technology Student Association, validating the program’s ability to cultivate problem-solving skills at an early age.
As far as real-world impact, STEAM Tank team members from Howell Township were keynote speakers at the New Jersey School Bus Safety Conference in 2017, which underscores the relevance of the STEAM Tank Challenge and can serve as an inspiration to other schools and districts who participate in the program.
The STEAM Tank Challenge is not just a “competition” but a powerful catalyst for transformation comprised of a diverse community of learners who are equipped to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. By engaging students in real-world problem solving, the challenge fosters creativity, collaboration and critical thinking while demonstrating the power of STEAM education in shaping our future. STEAM Tank students also build vital skills like collaboration, empathy and resilience, which are essential for success in the 21st century. The challenge creates opportunities for students from all backgrounds to participate, collaborate, and display their talent in an equitable and inclusive environment.
As the NJSBA continues to drive this initiative, it is investing in the success of New Jersey public school students. The Association is providing a platform where every student, regardless of background or zip code, has access to the resources and opportunities needed to succeed.
Together, we can build an equitable future where every student has the necessary tools and support to turn their real-world ideas into solutions to problems. School board members can advocate and support these young STEAM entrepreneurs as they look to shape the future of New Jersey and beyond by encouraging their schools to participate in the STEAM Tank Challenge.
In 2023, the STEAM Tank Challenge was nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering mentoring by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
If you are interested in bringing the STEAM Tank Challenge to your district, contact Jennifer Siehl, senior manager of the STEAM Tank program, at steamtank@njsba.org.
Jennifer M. Siehl is NJSBA’s senior manager for STEAM Tank.
