Celebrating STEM with the Altec Innovation Challenge in Elizabethtown

Designed to encourage students to solve real-world problems with innovative solutions, the Altec Innovation Challenge returned to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, for its second year.

Founded at Altec’s Birmingham, Alabama, headquarters, the Innovation Challenge brings local students together to identify a challenge and solve it with a STEM-based approach that involves science, technology, engineering and math, exposing the students to careers in the field.

“Employers are dependent on this next generation of talent as we look for opportunities to increase economic development efforts in our region,” said Chad Sarver, corporate training manager at Altec’s Elizabethtown facility. “From team building to verbal and written communication skills, to strategic planning, the Altec Innovation Challenge serves as an excellent example of an employer-led effort to advance the skills of our future workforce.”

Thirty-two teams from local school districts participated in this event, submitting their proposals to their school leadership team. From those, 10 teams were selected to provide a final presentation for judging based on degree of impact, feasibility, implementation and sustainability, with the winning team taking home $10,000 to implement their project.

This year’s winners from John Hardin High School are using their prize to give back to their community in a meaningful way.

Addressing Food Insecurity Through Aquaculture

For their project, freshmen and sophomores from John Hardin High School focused on food insecurity. Their plans were to create two aquaculture systems that would be used to grow and harvest aquatic organisms as healthy protein sources for the Warm Blessings Community Kitchen.

Agriculture Education teacher and FFA Advisor Jeremy Hall said his students spent a tremendous amount of time preparing for the competition.

“For more than three months, our students have worked in preparation for today, and to have a group of young men and women that’s been able to handle this kind of pressure, is just unbelievable,” said Hall. “I’m so proud of them and look forward to seeing this project come to life.”

Schools from all districts were broadly represented, delivering projects that addressed conservation, pollution, renewable energy consumption and more. After completing research and arranging conversations with local officials and professionals, various teams also presented prototypes for reference.

“We’re so proud of all our students who participated in today’s contest and thankful for partners like Altec for their investment in our community,” said Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan. “Through collaborations like this, we’re bridging the gap between classroom instruction and career enrichment opportunities.”

The 2022 Altec Innovation Challenge

Plans for the 2022 Altec Innovation Challenge are in the works, with plans to expand to more locations. Stay tuned to our website for more details to come in the next few months.