The event was sponsored by Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne, The Alvin I Brown and Peggy S. Brown Charitable Foundation and The Florida Engineering Society. In addition to egg drops and rocket launches, students also built roller coasters, made aerodynamic paper airplanes and constructed miniature bridges with wood.
"Saturday's turnout was the largest in the event's history, and it could be that parents and teachers are realizing how lucrative a career in science or engineering can be for local children," said Lew Crampton, president and CEO of the South Florida Science Museum. "There is an increased interest in the sciences at schools, and why, because that's where the majority of the jobs are," Crampton said.
Student projects were judged by the Florida Engineering Society, and the first through fourth place winners in each category received cash prizes. Events like the engineering competition make it fun for kids who might otherwise never consider science as a hobby or a career.
