Racing Away with STEM in the Pinewood Derby

Sixth grade engineers recently designed, built and raced their cars in a pinewood derby race, the culmination of a STEM activity that allows students to see science in action. Pairs of students collaborated to design and fashion a car that would compete against their peers. They had to obey strict parameters such as weight and wheel workings, but they were free to decorate their cars creatively. Students used the Maker Space to shape their cars and took to the test track in the lower level of Danforth Hall. They experimented with the shape of the nose and weight distribution, refining their designs based on their test runs.

Teams gathered in the MAC atrium this week for the big race. Four cars sped down the track at a time, and the winner of each heat advanced to the next round. Excitement was in the air as students cheered for their cars and celebrated victories.

The winning team was Arjav Jain ’26 and Zach Withington ’26. Jain exclaimed, “I spent all recess working on it to make it win.” Withington proudly shared, “We put weights on the front, and that’s what helped us win.”

Great job to all our racecar designers!