Waldorf, Md., April 24, 2025 — Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students showcased their STEM talents at the 2025 Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) Regional Showcase on April 11 at North Point High School. First-place teams from William A. Diggs, Malcolm, and Dr. Samuel A. Mudd elementary schools; John Hanson and Piccowaxen middle schools; and La Plata, Henry E. Lackey, and St. Charles high schools advanced to the state competition on May 3 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab Campus in Laurel.
Maryland MESA, a pre-college program, prepares students for careers in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology through project-based challenges. “MESA stood out to me, and my favorite teacher was running it,” said Mohamed Keita, a North Point High School junior. “Once I joined, I really loved the challenge and thought it was amazing.” The program encourages underrepresented groups, including minorities and females, to pursue STEM fields.
Elementary teams competed in four challenges. Diggs won the Community Clean-Up Challenge, designing an automated litter-collection model. Malcolm took first in the Planetary Lander and Storybook Theme Park Ride challenges, creating a landing structure and a ride model based on a storybook. Mudd won Wearable Technology with a health-monitoring device. Malcolm, Diggs, Walter J. Mitchell, and Berry earned second- and third-place awards.
Middle school teams tackled four challenges, including the National Engineering Design Competition (NEDC), which involved coding-based solutions for local inequities. Hanson won Community Clean-Up, while Piccowaxen secured first in Planetary Lander, Wearable Technology, and NEDC. Mattawoman, Benjamin Stoddert, and Phoenix International School of the Arts (PISOTA) took second- and third-place spots.
High school teams competed in three challenges. La Plata won Planetary Lander and NEDC, developing a prototype for water access in rural areas. Lackey took Community Clean-Up, and St. Charles won Wearable Technology with a smart garment for elderly safety. North Point earned multiple second- and third-place awards.
“The most rewarding part about being a MESA coordinator is watching scholars’ confidence grow,” said Keena Skinner, a J.P. Ryon Elementary coordinator. CCPS, serving 28,162 students across 38 schools, supports STEM through programs like MESA, with 80% of its schools earning state academic honors.
State winners may advance to the MESA USA National Competition in June. CCPS’s success builds on past achievements, including four elementary teams winning state titles in 2024. Local STEM professionals, including NASA’s Mamta Patel Nagaraja, inspired students at the event.
