Make48 challenges high schoolers to innovate
The We Energies STEM Center at MSOE hosted MSOE’s first Make48 competition Sept. 20-22, 2024. Welcoming eight teams of high school students and mentors from across the greater Milwaukee region, this 48-hour event challenged teams to innovate and develop a “looks-like, feels-like” product prototype to address a challenge around “scalable sustainability”.
At the end of the 48 hours, teams produced a video to feature their product that would accompany a pitch to a panel of judges. Teams had to consider manufacturing costs and product pricing, scalability, and feasibility for implementing their product on a collegiate campus.
Make48 Winning Teams
The Golda Girls were the first place winners.
The Cookie Cre8tors won the Best Pitch Award.
The C.O.A.H. Crew, pictured here with the judges, won the Best Agilities Award.
Team Golda Girls 2.0 took home the top prize which includes a $2,000 cash prize and an all expenses paid trip to compete in the Make48 national competition in Kansas City, Missouri this November.
The Cookie Cre8tors scored the “Best Pitch Award” for their presentation to the judges and communication skills. C.O.A.H Crew received the “Best Agilities Award” from The DeBruce Foundation for their demonstration of teamwork leveraging each members unique skillset.
If you want to see the teams in action, the challenge they set out to solve, and their prototypes, stay tuned for the 2-episode premiere on the This Old House channel on Roku and Make48’s YouTube. MSOE will be hosting a viewing party for the competitors, their families and the community where some of the competition prototypes will be available for viewing in person.
Thank you to all of the teams and their mentors who spent their weekend at the STEM Center! Competing teams included:
- Charger Robotics (Sussex Hamilton) – Sponsored by JP Cullen
- C.O.A.H Crew (City on a Hill) – Sponsored by Harley-Davidson
- Cookie Cre8tors (Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast) – Sponsored by Rockwell Automation
- Cristo Rey Trailblazers (Cristo Rey H.S.) – Sponsored by American Transmission Company
- Golda Girls 2.0 (Golda Meir) – Sponsored by Northwestern Mutual
- Lions Rising (Augustine Prep) – Sponsored by Husco
- NOVAS (Milwaukee Academy of Sciences) – Sponsored by Milwaukee Tool
- Waukesha West TREK (Waukesha West H.S.) – Sponsored by Generac
Dozens of volunteers from the Milwaukee community and beyond played a part in making this event possible. One volunteer, Brett Tarczewski (MSOE), built and designed this year’s trophy featuring a stunning metal replica of the Quadraacci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum!
Thank you to all of our volunteers and tool techs: Adam James, Adam Kittrell, Andrea Ventola, Andy Baisch, Brendan O’Brien, Brett Tarczewski, Brianna Berillo, Bryan Pechacek, Carrie Seidl, Charlie Larson, Corey Roehl, Craig Tautges, Dan Bergen, DeAnna Leitzke, Eryan Hassemer, Gina Zarcone, Gene Wright, Haley Howard, John Osmanski, John Zehren, Kelly Reuter, Kyle Janssen, Lalitha Murali, Liz Taylor, Matt Rohr, Michael Meilicke, Monica James, Natalie Villegas, Nate Zanavich, Nick Seidler, Payton Strong, Rachel Listinsky, Ray Tinianow, Ruth Barratt, Saj Thachenkary, Sandra Singer, Sonja Gaudynski, Stephanie Larson, Steve Williams, Tyler Isaacs, Wilfried Tapsoba, and Wyatt Pagels.
If you or your organization would like to join in for events at the MSOE STEM Center, sign up for the Center’s volunteer mailing list here or contact Elizabeth Taylor, STEM Center director at taylore@msoe.edu