MONTICELLO, Ill. (WAND) —  Students at Monticello Middle School are hoping for a snow day to put their new creations to the test.

Through the STEM program at the middle school Makerspace, the kids are getting ready for the ultimate showdown after building their own snowball launchers. The students used everyday materials like wood, tape, and plastic to take an average snowball fight to the next level. 

Jenna Bolen, a science teacher and STEM coordinator at Monticello Middle School, said, "The only criteria I have them is that they couldn't throw it with their arm, and they had to use materials available to them and they also had to be safe." 

The goal was for students to be creative and work through problems to make a successful launcher. Using power and precision they tested out their snowball launchers by having a competition to see which teams snowball launcher was able to throw a snowball the farthest. Every idea used to build their launchers was original to the team that built the device. 

Quinn, a student at Monticello Middle School said, "We used a bin and hot glue and tape, and a ruler stick and like pieces of wood and a plastic tub to make it launch."

While students on the other teams came up with a different idea, testing out which design was the most effective while using problem solving and critical thinking skills. 

Carbon, a student at Monticello Middle School said, "We decided to go with a catapult we used two-meter sticks and an empty roll of tape cardboard and a wooden board."

The kids also learned the importance of working as a team to make the project possible. 

"They were proud of the product they came up with because of all the time they put into it." 

At the end of the day for instructors like Bolen, this type of education is of the utmost importance. She believes that STEM education leaves a seat for all students at the table while they figure out what they are best at. 

"You think in a completely different way than you would in other areas of school. STEM allows all students to succeed because there is something for everyone."

This is just one of the many competitions and experiments that kids will complete as a part of Makerspace. The program which is unique to Monticello Middle School is giving the students the autonomy to decide what projects they want to work on while finding their love of learning. 

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