Chiefs pitch ideas with STEM Shark Tank

McIntosh High STEM students capped off a design challenge with a Shark Tank-style showcase of their innovations.

Over 2 weeks in class, more than 50 freshmen in the STEM program conducted the challenge. Students were tasked with identifying a need in sports equipment or apparel. The innovation needed to improve player performance, safety, and/or comfort.

They selected materials for possible use and tested those materials to select the best based on data collected. That aspect was intended as an introduction to materials science, a field of scientific research and engineering that connects physics and chemistry.

Once complete, they pitched their product with an idea board to researchers at Georgia Tech’s Research Institute for feedback.

“The goal was to think not just about the product, but the whole picture: The user, sales, marketing, design, science, and the engineering design process,” said McIntosh STEM coordinator Seth Bishop. “I hope they apply what they learned from this challenge to other school projects. Being able to see the whole picture and work with different people with various skills will boost their career in the future.”