Released October 16, 2009
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Think parallel parking is difficult? Try keeping balance on a bicycle as it moves between obstacles in a five-inch gap. Or manage to keep a heavy trailer steady while coaxing a tractor 40 feet backwards into a shed.
Oh, and do it with hundreds of people watching on a national stage.
Jake Meredith won second place in Bicycles as he and three other 4-H'ers represented Arkansas at the National 4-H Engineering Challenge, held Oct. 4-6 at Purdue University. Meredith and Robert Arnold competed in Bicycles, and Mark Sloan and Caleb Walker competed in Tractors.
This year the trip was sponsored by the Arkansas 4-H Foundation, which paid for travel expenses and lodging.
The youth were led by Subodh Kulkarni, program associate - machinery with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, who served as head chaperone, and Willa Williams, program associate - 4-H STEM.
"Our total team performed very well," said Kulkarni, who supervised Sloan and Walker in Tractors. "The kids get engineering exposure [by competing], and maybe some of them will be inspired to go into engineering," he said.
Williams supervised Meredith and Arnold in Bicycles. "I was very impressed by both Robert's and Jake's performances," she said.
Competitors in each activity face several challenges including written exams, parts identification, safety knowledge, and skills courses. Events are timed, and any missteps are penalized.
This year was the first time Arkansas 4-H youth competed in Bicycles.
The skills course is "meant to be a driving test, almost like you have in a car," said Williams. Competitors must demonstrate balance, coordination and mental quickness as they navigate paths, avoid obstacles and make proper hand signals.
Arkansas 4-H youth train with a bicycle program that mirrors the national program. "We really do prepare our kids really well," said Williams. "It teaches them skills they can use, even if they don't ride bikes the rest of their life," she said.
The Tractor competition is consistently popular and featured nearly double the contestants of other activities, said Kulkarni.
Competitors must demonstrate substantial knowledge of tractor parts, safety, and operation before getting behind the wheel. The skills course involves maneuvering a tractor around an obstacle course with a 2-wheel or 4-wheel trailer attached.
The course features long alleyways, winding paths and little room for error.
"It looks easy, but it is very difficult," said Kulkarni. Fiberglass poles with precariously balanced golf balls ring the course. Bumping a pole results in a penalty-and more points are deduced if the ball falls off the pole.
"They cannot do reckless driving," said Kulkarni.
Both Sloan and Walker did well on the final obstacle-backing up. Maneuvering can be tricky with a trailer snaking behind the tractor. "They backed up without problems," said Kulkarni. "I asked them how, and they said, ‘We practiced.'"
Kids, parents and coaches alike attended workshops and toured facilities after the competitions ended. "It was an educational experience," said Kulkarni. Williams agreed. "It was pretty cool," she said. "It was awesome for the kids."
Williams plans to bring more 4-H'ers to next year's Engineering Challenge.
"Next year, I plan on taking Tractor, Bicycling, Aerospace and Robotics [competitors]," she said.
Kulkarni is optimistic about Arkansas' chances in future competitions. "We're getting better, one by one," he said. "My vision is to get that [winning] trophy one day."
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http://www.uaex.edu/news/october2009/10164HCompetition.htm
Writer: Elizabeth Fortune, (501) 671-2120, efortune@uaex.edu
