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NEWS RELEASE
STUDENTS ACROSS U.S. CHANGE LIVES, SPREAD LOVE BY USING THEIR STEM SKILLS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL CHALLENGES
IN IMPACTFUL DESIGN PROJECT
Award Recipients Announced in ITEEA’s REACH Challenge –
A Nationwide Adaptive and Assistive Technology Competition

RESTON, VA, February 11, 2022Just in time for Valentine’s Day, students from across the United States discovered today that their REACH Challenge projects have earned awards through the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA).
REACH Challenge is an impactful Adaptive & Assistive Technology (AT) design-thinking project for middle school, high school, and college level STEM programs. Teachers are provided with lesson plans and activities on Empathy, User-Centered Design, Prototyping and more, to lead their students in using their STEM skills to REACH a member of their community who has a challenge to overcome. This innovative project shows teachers how they can help students use their STEM skills for social good, making a real-world difference in the lives of those around them.

This year’s award winners hail from eleven states: Washington, New York, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The students and teachers have described their experience as “heart-warming,” “profound,” and “invaluable.”

“This project really is life changing, not only for the person receiving the adaptive technology, but for the students and their teachers as well,” said Gavin Wood, an award-winning STEM educator who partnered with ITEEA to develop REACH Challenge. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

In this third year for REACH Challenge, teams created a wide variety of AT solutions, including the Power Pivot to help senior adults with mobility issues, a Thermal Kinetic Therapeutic Glove for a teen with Raynaud's which causes decreased blood flow to the fingers, and The Able-Table for preschoolers with fine motor skills challenges.
“I am absolutely blown away by these students’ innovations,” said Kelly Dooley, ITEEA Executive Director. “We couldn’t be more excited to honor these teams for their accomplishments.”

To celebrate how they used their love for STEM in a way that touched others’ lives, award-winning teams will receive STEM grants, a special banner to display at their schools, and supplies to support their STEM program from Harbor Freight and Maker Maven. REACH Challenge Team leads are also invited to receive their award at ITEEA's 84rd Annual Conference, to be held both in-person and virtually, March 9-12, 2022 in Orlando, Florida

ITEEA would like to thank the MO Better Foundation, Harbor Freight, and Maker Maven for their support for the 2021 REACH Challenge. For 2022, ITEEA is looking for additional sponsors to increase awareness of REACH Challenge, and to provide more opportunities for teams to earn awards for their STEM programs. For more information, contact ITEEA at [email protected].
The 2021 REACH Challenge award recipients are as follows:

REACH Challenge Winner
$1,000 STEM Grant + $100 Harbor Freight Gift Card + Maker Maven STEM supplies
1 FREE Registration for the 2022 ITEEA Annual Conference
  • Power Pivot - Discovery High School, Washington
 
REACH Challenge Finalists
$250 STEM Grant + $100 Harbor Freight Gift Card + Maker Maven STEM supplies
20% Off Registration for the 2022 ITEEA Annual Conference
  • Thermal Kinetic Therapeutic Glove - John F. Kennedy High School, New York
  • The Able-Table - MOT Charter High School, Delaware

REACH Challenge Semi-Finalists
$100 STEM Grant + $100 Harbor Freight Gift Card
20% Off Registration for the 2022 ITEEA Annual Conference
  • Safety Needle Release Grip Extension - Kalani High School, Hawaii
  • STEP - Student Teaching Enhancement Project - Governor's STEM Academy at the Burton Center for Arts & Technology, Virginia
  • SPACE: Sensory Board Kit - South Fayette High School, Pennsylvania
  • Bathroom Assistance Agent - Governor's STEM Academy at the Burton Center for Arts & Technology, Virginia
  • Freezer Helper - Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Florida
  • MOVE- MVES Operative Vehicle Enhancement - Governor's STEM Academy at the Burton Center for Arts & Technology, Virginia
 
REACH Challenge Special Recognition
$100 Harbor Freight Gift Card
10% Off Registration for the 2022 ITEEA Annual Conference
  • Shoe Support - Upper St Clair High School, Pennsylvania
  • Parkinson’s Toothbrush - Kalani High School, Hawaii
  • Ohio State Compression Vest - Northern Burlington County Regional - New Jersey
  • Wireless Communication Ventilator - Kalani High School, Hawaii
  • I-Stand - Olathe Northwest High School, Kansas
  • Carry Cart - Hill High School, Georgia
  • Medical Tape Dispenser - Kalani High School, Hawaii
  • Grip Enhancing Glove - Thomas Hunter Middle School, Virginia
  • Tactile Liquid Measurement - Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, Massachusetts 
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Contact:
[email protected] - Kelly M. Dooley, PE (she/her) - Executive Director/CEO
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA)

ABOUT International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA)
ITEEA represents more than 35,000 secondary technology and engineering educators in the U.S. alone who are developers, administrators, and university personnel in the field representing all levels of education. ITEEA corporate members are comprised of leading technology companies. ITEEA's mission is that "Technology and Engineering Bring STEM to Life!” ITEEA seeks to meet the professional needs and interests of members, as well as to improve public understanding of technology, innovation, design, and engineering education and its contributions.