Covenant Academy students put on their thinking caps to participate in the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair last week.  Fifty-eight students in kindergarten through ninth grades were challenged to submit an exhibit in one of the designated categories of biological, math, physical or engineering.
“We added an engineering category this year for the students to make it more interesting and to offer them another challenge level,” said headmaster Alan Smith. 
Students exhibited a range of projects, such as analyzing how paper airplanes fly, how quickly bacteria grows on food that has been dropped on the floor, a robotic arm, a robot that sweeps a table, a new and improved dog bath and how to produce salt crystals. 
Judge Gregg Garrison took time to talk with each student, and give them the opportunity to explain their project and present results.
“I have seen some really good exhibits here today,” said Garrison. “I’m very impressed with the quality.”
Eighth-grader Brandon Peterson invented a Table Bot designed to brush objects off a table.
When asked why he thought it was important to have a Table Bot, Peterson replied, “It’s something I just don’t like to do, and I like to build things.”
Another interesting invention was Devin Szczepanik’s ice chest air conditioner, or as his friends refer to it “a red-neck air conditioner.” The air conditioner starts with a Styrofoam cooler with a layer of ice on the bottom. A fan is attached to the top that blows air over the ice producing cool air that comes out a connecting tube. It can either run on an electrical outlet or a USB connection. 
A very useful and practical invention was made by fourth-grade student Madisen Madewell. She and her mother came up with the idea of building a better dog bath.
“I wanted to do an engineering project using wood, so I decided to find a way to give a dog a bath,” said Madewell. The bath starts out with a plastic tote tub, surrounded by wood, complete with water hook ups, a pouch for holding shampoo and brush, and an attached cup for rinsing.