D51 STEM

🚄 Engineering in action!

Our D51 MESA Club students recently put their engineering skills to the test by designing and racing Maglev cars. Using magnets to reduce friction, students worked through the engineering design process—building, testing, and improving their cars to make them faster and more efficient.

Students also had the incredible opportunity to tour Colorado Mesa University’s Engineering Building, Confluence Hall, where they saw real-world engineering labs, equipment, and spaces where future engineers learn and innovate.

A heartfelt thank you to the Colorado Mesa University faculty, staff, and student ambassadors who welcomed our students so warmly. Your time, knowledge, and enthusiasm made the visit truly special and helped our students see what their futures in STEM could look like.

Mesa County Valley School District 51

🚀 That’s a wrap on Engineering Week!🚀

This week, we celebrated the incredible world of engineering; from spacecrafts successfully flying on Mars to bridges built to sway safely in strong winds.

At D51 STEM, we’re proud to give students opportunities to explore, create, and engineer their future, not just this week, but all year long.

Here’s to the problem-solvers, builders, and future engineers in our schools!

Mesa County Valley School District 51

🔧✨ It’s Engineers Week! ✨🔧

This week, we celebrate the thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators who design, build, and improve the world around us. From bridges and buildings to robotics, energy, and technology. Engineering shapes our everyday lives in ways big and small.

Here in D51 STEM, students are already stepping into the role of future engineers through hands-on learning, creativity, and real-world problem solving. The future is being built in our classrooms today. 🚀

Mesa County Valley School District 51

🚨 Important Update! 🚨
Our FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival has been moved from April 25 to May 2.

Same exciting event, just one week later! 🧱🤖
Please mark your calendars and help us spread the word. We can’t wait to see our students showcase their creativity, teamwork, and LEGO builds!

Educators: If you'd like to give your students the opportunity to be part of this amazing, hands-on LEGO robotics event, sign up using the link below! ⬇️
https://forms.gle/uUFjC9G3NdKJaSd1A

Mesa County Valley School District 51

D51 teachers & coaches 👋 Looking to bring fun, hands-on STEM to your students?

Sign up for the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore Festival on April 25!
FLL Explore is designed for grades 2–4 and offers a much calmer, more relaxed experience than the Challenge tournament. Students work in teams to build LEGO models, explore real-world ideas, and practice creativity, communication, and teamwork in a supportive, festival-style environment.

✨ New to LEGO League? No experience needed, we’ll support you every step of the way.
📣 D51 staff: teachers, coaches, counselors, and support staff are all welcome!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/pvY57sHDLjuDfKVx7
Questions? Please reach out to: [email protected]

Mesa County Valley School District 51

It’s Computer Science Education Week! 💻✨

To celebrate, here are some amazing computer science facts that remind us just how remarkable technology truly is. From the first hard drive holding only 5MB of data, to the Voyager spacecraft still running on 1970s computers, CS has shaped the world in incredible ways. Every tap, click, and swipe we use today is powered by ideas that started decades ago!

Computer science helps us solve problems, spark creativity, and bring new ideas to life — and we’re excited to keep highlighting the technology that moves our world forward. 🚀

Mesa County Valley School District 51

🏆 Colorado FIRST LEGO League State Championship Highlights! 🏆

We are so proud of our 7 D51 teams who competed at the state championship! Hearing the “D51! D51!” chants all day was amazing. Our students represented their schools, our district, and the entire Western Slope so well. 💙🤖

The Western Slope brought home 5 of the 15 total trophies, and 4 of those were won by D51 teams! 🙌

👏 Big congratulations to:
• DIA Brick Bobcats – Judges Award
• FMS LiveWires 3.0 – 3rd Place Core Values Award
• MVE Hawk Challengers – 2nd Place Robot Design Award
• The Hawkeye Challenge Team
• MVE Community Team Chicken Hawks – 1st Place Core Values + Ranked 6th overall and invited to an international open event! 🌍🎉

And a huge shout-out to Shelledy’s Brick Rollers 2.0 and GMMS JurassicCheese for making it to state for the first time! 🚀

💡 To all our teams who competed this season: your hard work, teamwork, and creativity matter. Every build, every idea, and every match helps you grow. We can’t wait to see what you do next year! 💛

D51 students continue to make our community proud—on to the next adventure! 🧡💙

Mesa County Valley School District 51

Last night, our MESA Club students wrapped up 4–8 weeks of hard work by debuting their hand-built mangonel catapults for this year’s Minecraft-themed challenge.

Using only the allowed materials, students engineered stable frames, throwing arms, and tension/torsion systems to launch rubber projectiles toward angled targets, testing both accuracy and distance. 🎯⚙️

They also earned points for creativity, bringing Minecraft flair into their designs while staying true to competition rules.

We’re so proud of the ingenuity, dedication, and problem-solving these students showed. Incredible work, everyone! 🏹💚💠

Mesa County Valley School District 51

A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all our incredible volunteers who made this year’s FIRST LEGO League Challenge Tournament possible. From our dedicated referees and enthusiastic queuers to the calm and caring medical table attendants, you each played a vital role in making the day run smoothly. Your time, support, and positivity created an unforgettable experience for our students. We are truly grateful for everything you poured into this event. We couldn’t do it without you.

And a special thank-you to Fruita Monument High School for generously opening your doors and hosting this event. Your hospitality and support help make opportunities like this possible for students across D51.

Mesa County Valley School District 51

Our FIRST LEGO League teams blew us away last weekend at the FIRST Lego League Grand Junction Regional Qualifier! They presented research-based solutions to real problems, tackled both practice and competition robot matches, and showcased amazing Core Values along the way.

Thank you to every team, volunteer, family member, and student who made this day so special! 💚🤖

Mesa County Valley School District 51

💡 Do you need volunteer hours or want to make a difference in your community?
Then the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Tournament is the perfect opportunity for you!

🤖 This high-energy event brings together 4th–8th graders who design, build, and code LEGO robots to tackle themed missions — showcasing creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

We need amazing volunteers to help make it all happen, from judging and refereeing to team check-in, queuing, setup, and cleanup. No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm and love for STEM!

📅 November 15, 2025 | Fruita Monument High School
⏰ Morning, afternoon, or setup/cleanup shifts available
🍕 After cleanup, stick around — food may be provided as a thank-you for your help!

🙌 Earn volunteer hours, support local students, and be part of something incredible.
📲 Scan the QR code or follow the link here to register: https://forms.gle/audm1bMU4FB71S488

Mesa County Valley School District 51