Students from across Western Pennsylvania put their innovative spirits on display during the Tinkercast “Make It Wow” competition last month at Fox Chapel Area High School.
More than 2,000 elementary students converged for the creative showcase, which served as a sneak preview of a statewide design challenge in May.
Founded by three media veterans on a mission to spark wonder, Tinkercast aims to ignite creativity and inspire youngsters to become thinkers and tinkerers.
The event at Fox Chapel Area High School challenged students to turn their wildest and weirdest ideas into jaw-dropping inventions. During the competition, teams participated in challenges designed to help them invent, design, build and solve problems — all done live on stage.
Sponsored by The Grable Foundation, the competition was supported by Remake Learning and the Fox Chapel Area School District.
Next up on May 5, students will trade textbooks for hands-on lessons in engineering during Remake Learning Days’ discoverED 2026 design challenge.
Led by the district, the collaborative statewide is aimed at first, second and third graders who will get lessons on biomimicry and aerodynamics, then use the principles to design, build and iterate custom “hoop gliders” inspired by the flight patterns of flying squirrels.
Virtual classrooms will allow students to see firsthand how STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) and maker-centered learning foster critical thinking, career readiness, collaboration and connection, leaders said.
“DiscoverED is about creating meaningful, lasting connections,” said Megan Collett, district executive director of instructional and innovative leadership.
“We are showing students that the same principles that power nature can power their own innovations.”
Live action will be streamed on social media.