Industrial Technology Fair gathers students from across the region

Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Chaffee High School students pose with their trophies after winning the Best School award at the 38th Annual Industrial Technology Fair in Poplar Bluff. The event featured over 300 student projects from high schools across Southeast Missouri. Submitted photo

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Students from 11 high schools across Southeast Missouri came together to show off their talents in woodworking, metalworking, drafting, robotics, and more, at the 38th Annual Industrial Technology Fair, held April 27 at Three Rivers College's campus in Poplar Bluff.

The Fair, which is organized by the Technology Education Association of Missouri (T.E.A.M.), saw over 308 student-created projects competing for the chance to move on to the state industrial technology competition at Lake of the Ozarks. Categories for competition included woodworking, metalworking, drafting, photography, graphic design, and more.

Chaffee High School student Hannah Seyer walked away with the Best of Show award for her walnut and maple rocking chair, while Chaffee High School was awarded Best School. There were 76 Best of Class awards given for high scores in each category and age group, while 65 senior high and 10 junior high projects qualified for the state competition. In addition, a scholarship was awarded to Lindsey Koch of Chaffee High School for her maple secretary with Clock project.

"The Industrial Technology Fair provides an invaluable experience for the students who participate and compete in it," said Heather Carlton, Information Systems Technology Instructor at Three Rivers and one of the event's coordinators. "It gives them an incentive to pull out all the stops on their work, and it allows them a chance to see what other students like them are creating. The end result tends to be amazing, professional-quality projects."

T.E.A.M. (Technology Education Association of Missouri) is a teacher organization that is affiliated with ITEEA (International Technology and Engineering Educators Association), ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education), National TSA (Technology Student Association) and Missouri TSA. The organization focuses its efforts on supporting industrial technology educators by providing conferences, workshops and educational newsletter, curriculum, and student-based competitive programs.