The 2008 TEAMS Competition is wrapping up, with over 600 high schools participating this year, for a total of nearly 1250 teams and some 10,000 students. State rankings and national qualifiers will be announced on the TEAMS website at the beginning of April, with national rankings available at the beginning of May.

For the first time in competition history, TEAMS had a theme this year, Behind the Scenes: Engineering Athletics, and challenged high school students to work together to solve some of the engineering feats facing event officials at some of the largest athletic events in the world, including the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympic Games. Scenarios featured the physics behind the curve of a baseball pitch, the feasibility of an all-season bobsled track, the aerodynamics of a corner kick in soccer, and the environmental concerns and traffic flow that must be taken into account when accommodating large crowds. TEAMS Competitions took place at nearly 100 sites across the country during February and early March, each team vying for the top prize of $5,000.

Stay tuned for a summary play-by-play of this year's event, as well as an update on the 2008 awards; be sure to check back to find out how to get involved in TEAMS 2009! To learn more about TEAMS, request a free DVD and brochure by logging onto the TEAMS website at: www.jets.org/teams.

Congratulations to the 2008 NEDC Winners!

Gardner Edgerton High School Wins
National Engineering Design Challenge

Gardner Edgerton wins with BART, the Bag Attachment and Replacement Technology, a compound device that allows a user to change and tie a trash bag with only one hand. BART consists of three main components: a cylindrical dispenser for trash bags, a clip that holds the trash bag in place on the trash can, and a tying mechanism.

Gardner Edgerton has won $3,000 for their school's sponsoring department and a trip to Los Angeles, CA, April 14-17 to present at the NISH annual conference.

Congratulations to our second place winners and finalists. The second place winners have both won $1,500 for their school's sponsoring departments:

Outstanding Engineering Design — Parapalegic Agricultural Lift (PAL), Garfield-Palouse High School, Palouse, WA

Outstanding Assistive Technology Design — eSAS, The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, Denton, TX

Finalist — The High Roller, Flowery Branch High School, Flowery Branch, GA

Finalist — The Arthriscissors, Edcouch Elsa High School, Edcouch, TX

Finalist — The SinkAble, Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair, PA

What is the NEDC? Teams of students will design an Assistive Technology (AT) device to help a person with a disability to perform or increase productivity in his or her job. Winning students have an opportunity to travel and win recognition for their creativity. Registration for 2008-2009 opens this summer!

What's your idea of a dream job? Check out www.engineeryourlife.org and find out about cool jobs and different kinds of engineering, meet inspiring women who love their careers, learn from students about what engineering programs are like, and get information on how to get started toward an engineering career.

New DVD Available for FREE!

Bold Visions gives us a glimpse into the lives of women who are dispelling the myths commonly associated with professionals who work in the fields of science and technology by showing how engineers make a difference in our lives. Order your FREE copy now by contacting JETS at info@jets.org. Simply email JETS with the subject heading: "Bold Visions" and provide us with your name and mailing address.