Each year, the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) holds regional and national competitions that engage college students who are studying to become engineering technology teachers. During the event, students find solutions to various challenges, such as the Teaching Challenge, which evaluates how well students teach others about a technological topic; the Problem-Solving Challenge, which enables students to use their design skills, 3-D modeling abilities and creativity to solve a specific problem; and the Transportation Challenge which incorporates elements of robotics and coding.
At the November 2020 Midwest Regional TEECA event, Purdue Polytechnic students continued their winning streak, despite the event being held virtually because of the pandemic. Greg Strimel, assistant professor of technology leadership and innovation, is the team’s mentor. Daphne Fauber, engineering technology teacher education major, is the president of the TEECA student organization.
In addition to Fauber, the Polytechnic’s team consisted of William “Liam” Rowe, Vanessa Santana, Megan Doyle, Milo Engel, Hayley Grisez, Hagen Rhodes, Jackson Otto, Cameron Ott and Sean Wiseman. With the exception of their second-place finish in the Problem-Solving Challenge, they placed first in the following challenges:
- 1st Place, Teaching Challenge
- 1st Place, Communications Challenge
- 1st Place, Transportation Challenge
- 2nd Place, Problem-Solving Challenge