The Elementary Schools of Penn-Trafford School District conduct periodic STEAM projects called “Junk Box Wars.”
STEAM activities incorporate science, technology, engineering, art, and math into one lesson. The Junk Box Wars projects encourage students to use their scientific knowledge to create and design a device. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade work with a partner and are given a design challenge and a bag of “junk” to create a device that solves a specified task.
The May 2026 Junkbox War was called ‘The Stay Dry Challenge.’ Students were tasked with building an umbrella to keep them dry. The students were given only foil, tape, straws, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and paper clips in order to complete the challenge.
Winners were named from each grade level, and the students enjoyed the educational and interactive project.
McCullough first-graders Zane Sanchez and Bennett Binesh work together to create their umbrella
Sunrise Elementary 4th-graders Isaac Hopkinson and Levi Skiffington show off their completed umbrella
Harrison Park Elementary teacher, Mrs. Kelly Pratt, tests out a student's umbrella by dumping water over her head
Level Green Elementary students enjoyed watching 3rd-grader Chloe Zeminski get drenched by water
Trafford Elementary 1st-grader, Rocco Pecora, volunteered to test out his team’s umbrella by having a cup of water dumped over his head