Elsie MacGill SS students soar to victory in Skills Ontario Junk Drawer Air Pressure Rocket Challenge
Four Grade 11 students from Elsie MacGill SS secured gold in the provincial level of the Skills Ontario Junk Drawer Races Air Pressure Rocket Challenge: Hamdan Khurram, Haroon Shah, Abdul Mutaal Farhan and Hassan Rasheed.
This competition challenges students to design and build rockets using everyday materials, emphasizing creativity, problem-solving and engineering skills.
The Junk Drawer Rocket Challenge tasks teams of four students from Grades 9-12 to construct an air-pressured rocket using materials such as paper products, balloons, straws, and wooden skewers. The objective is to maximize the flight duration of the capsule while carrying up to 100 grams of weight, simulating real-world engineering constraints.
Khurram reflected on the experience: "The competition felt intense. We faced many struggles along the way, but when we finally won, it was a moment of relief. Winning gold in the championship round feels both amazing and surreal."
"To be honest, the Junk Drawer Air Rocket competition was definitely an experience,” says Shah. “There were obviously times when our ideas completely failed, and we felt in a rush to get everything together. However, persevering through all of that, making quick corrections, and maintaining focus paid off. It felt fantastic to win both regionals and provincials; it seemed as if all of the last-minute effort had been worthwhile."
Farhan provides more detail about the team’s iteration process: "Throughout this journey, I built and tested five different rocket samples, constantly tweaking every detail; from the weight distribution to the number of coins for scoring. Every trial taught me something new. There were so many challenges along the way, and a lot of designs that didn’t work, but I kept pushing forward, determined to create the best rocket possible. After all the ups and downs, it was incredibly rewarding to see my hard work pay off — placing second at the Regionals and then winning gold at the Provincials. This experience taught me that real success comes from persistence, problem-solving, and never giving up."
"Honestly, when I first decided to take part in this competition, I was oblivious to what doors it would open for me,” says Rasheed. “My initial curiosity led me to become part of something truly special. The innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills that arose from the Junk Drawer competition allowed me to grow not only as a competitor but also as a thinker and innovator."
The team's success highlights the importance of hands-on learning experiences in developing STEM skills and fostering innovation among students, which connects to the HDSB 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan’s commitment to Learning, Engagement and Achievement. Their victory underscores the value of perseverance and teamwork in overcoming challenges, and shows what students are capable of in vibrant, supportive spaces that encourage them to learn and thrive.
