SUBMITTED
From blueprint to build and concept to code, approximately 115 Grade 7 and 8 students from across the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) put their creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills to the test at the 2025 Intermediate SKLZ Competition in Kemptville on April 8.
Teams of students worked on six categories: TV/Video, Green Energy (wind turbine construction), Technology Challenge (hydraulic mining challenge), Construction Challenge (tiny homes), LEGO Mechanical Engineering and LEGO Robotics.
This hands-on initiative, which began in 2018 with just one school, continues to grow each year. This year’s event hosted students from nine UCDSB schools: Athens District High School, Carleton Place High School, Char-Lan District High School, Duncan J. Schoular Public School, Glengarry District High School, North Dundas District High School, Pleasant Corners Public School, Rideau District High School, and St. Lawrence Secondary School.
The competition emphasizes collaboration, innovation and problem solving, as students take on real-world design and engineering challenges. Judges for the event include local industry professionals, educators, and technical specialists who volunteered their time to evaluate student performance and creativity.
Gold medal winners from each event will now advance to represent the UCDSB at the Skills Ontario Provincial Competition in Toronto on May 5 and 6, 2025.
Gold Medal Results:
TV/Video Production
Athens District High School
Presley Scharfe and Erabella Stevens
Technology (Hydraulics Challenge)
Glengarry District High School
Atley Lajoie, Callum MacPherson, Kenzie McRae and Xavier Stang
Green Energy (Wind Turbine)
Glengarry District High School
Ruby Cox, Kacey Kivits, Aaden Walker and Ben Wood
Construction Challenge (Tiny Homes)
Glengarry District High School
Micheala Davidson, Cal MacDonald, Olivia MacLeod and Yannis Mbianda
LEGO Robotics
Carleton Place High School
Duncan Ferguson, Sarvesh Lakshman, Tessa Salter and Bronwyn Scollan
Mechanical Engineering (LEGO)
Rideau District High School
Leah Brown, Rowan Bruyere, Emilia Halfpenny and Rubie Lynn
SOURCE: Upper Canada District School Board.
