Design Problem: “Time Travelers’ Museum”. Create an animatronic figure or scene from a key moment in American history. The character should "come to life" to explain their world to a young audience. Designed for a children's museum or educational tour. 

Design Problem is in Canvas under "Competition Event Material".

Theme:  “History or Mystery” Students create an audio podcast that focuses on a real-life or fictitious historical event from the past.

Topic: Bioconjugation. Bioconjugation is a biochemical technique that has been applied in various fields, such as medicine, diagnostics, biocatalysis, and materials. From chemical warfare to corrective eye surgery, the applications of bioconjugation are vast. Highlight the science behind bioconjugation and demonstrate one of its many uses.

Theme: Students develop and produce a non-fiction, die-cut board book

Competition Updates:

10/8/24

The TSA logo may be used for this year’s event in accordance with the TSA Branding Guide.  Any other use of the TSA logo beyond the national TSA conference is prohibited.

1/10/2025

PRE-CONFERENCE/PRELIMINARY ROUND

     A. Storybook:

     5. The maximum reading time is ten (10) minutes, and no minimum.

The following programming languages may be used to complete the assigned problems: 

• C version C17

• C++ version C++20

• C# version 8

• Java version 21.0

• Javascript/Node version 18.19

• Python version 3.9

• Ruby version 3.2

• Rust version 1.75

• Swift version 5.10

Theme: Identify and use a "Tourism"- related open-source data set for analysis and research. In the scientific poster, cite the source of the data, including the URL/domain and file format.  Poster template is in Canvas under "Competition Event Material".

Topic: Artificial Intelligence and Ethics

• Subtopic 1: AI decision-making in judicial systems introduces bias and undermines human moral judgment.

• Subtopic 2: The development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) poses a greater existential threat than nuclear weapons.

• Subtopic 3: AI-generated art and literature diminish the value of human creativity and cultural authenticity.

Theme: “A Twist in Time” Create a story that alters a key historical moment—or imagines a character from the past suddenly appearing in the modern day.

Competition Updates:

11/19/24

Tier 1 Digital Video
Video Effectiveness (X2)            

Minimal performance
The work does not meet the project goals, has an unclear message, and reflects sloppy work. The year’s theme is not well represented or represented at all.

Adequate performance
The topic is presented with some insight, and the video meets most project goals. The theme is represented somewhat but may not be fully clear to the viewer.

Exemplary performance
The video is focused, with a clear message and a rich variety of supporting material. The yearly theme is the centerpiece of the work and easily understood by the viewer.

No theme for 2026, see official rules for specifications

Competition Updates

11/5/24

Rubric - Semifinal Dragster Construction section
Body Paint/Finish Criteria
Adequate Performance – Dragster body is painted and/or finished adequately. 

File is in Canvas under "Competition Event Material".

Engineering the tools of scientific discovery

Villain Era with one element of the main garment being 3-D printed.

Urban Heat Islands and Cooling Solutions

Identify urban heat island (UHI) hotspots in your area using temperature, vegetation, and land use data. Map areas most affected by heat and propose equitable solutions—such as tree planting zones, reflective surfaces, or community cooling centers—especially in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Marble Maze or Puzzle Box

The year 2026 marks the 250th birthday of the United States. Create a musical piece that can be played as the opening number at a July 4th fireworks show.

Photo Essay Series; Create a series of photos that tell a story

Everyone knows the classic game of rock, paper, scissors: rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rock. At the end of the day, which is the most revolutionary tool? Develop a presentation in which you select one of these three technologies/tools and describe its impact on human civilization.

Theme: Create promotional materials for a chapter-hosted event in which TSA alumni return to the chapter to share career stories, run workshops, and mentor students. The promotional items must include: 

• an event information flyer

• a social media promotional graphic

• a name badge template

• a promotional item of the participant’s choice

Participants should use the following details in the designs:

Event title: “Back to Impact: TSA Alumni Day Celebration”

Date of event: June 2-4, 2026

Chapter name: Bluewater Heights School of Innovation TSA

School mascot: Jets

Address: 870 Trail Bend Road, Bluewater Heights, MD 21903

File is in Canvas under "Competition Event Material".

Competition Updates:

8/21/2024

Documentation Portfolios are not required for this event

Develop a software program that removes barriers and increases accessibility for people with vision or hearing disabilities.

Headline: The green past of the Saharo-Arabian Desert: Cave deposits reveal recurring humid periods over eight million years

Background: A new study led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has uncovered compelling evidence that the Saharo-Arabian Desert—today one of Earth’s driest regions—experienced multiple periods of significantly wetter climate over the past eight million years. Researchers analyzed speleothems, or cave deposits, from seven Saudi Arabian caves and found chemical clues indicating repeated monsoonal rainfall that transformed the desert into a habitable landscape for thousands of years at a time.

These wetter intervals likely enabled the migration of mammals, including early human ancestors, between Africa and Eurasia—despite the desert’s role as a natural barrier. The study highlights the powerful influence of climate change on human and animal history, as well as the importance of cave formations as records of ancient weather patterns. Using isotopic analysis and radiometric dating, the team also discovered that the decline of monsoonal rainfall was caused by long-term cooling in the Northern Hemisphere, which shifted rain belts southward.

Prompt: Based on the following headline, develop a news broadcast that includes an introduction of the headline, a summary of the information in the news story, and an explanation of potential future implications of the highlighted work.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079999

Files are in Canvas under "Competition Event Material".

Competition Updates:

9/5/24

2024-2025 Design Brief
The two column towers will be placed on the bases 8" apart instead of 6" apart to accommodate the center plate on testers.
The test block can be a minimum of 12" instead of 10"

Design Problem:  The Sky is Not the Limit- Next-gen space travel. 

Theme: Retro Revival: Reimagine an 8-bit or 16-bit era type of game with a modern twist.

Theme: Design an interactive, walk-through VR museum based on a topic in art, history, or technology. 

Topic: Community Resource Hub

Create a website that will serve as a community resource hub to highlight resources available to residents within the community (e.g., non-profits, support services, community events and programs, etc.). Your website should include the following: 

• an interactive directory of community resources (resource hub) that allows users to search and filter the resources. 

• a highlight section that spotlights at least three of the community resources you have listed in your resource hub. 

• a form that users can submit to indicate new resources that should be added to the community resources hub. 

• additional content to enhance the community resource hub for end users.