Nearly 500 elementary and middle school students from across Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) participated and competed in this year’s PROPEL and Level Up Innovation Day at the Academies of Loudoun on Saturday, April 18. The event featured students from 15 schools across the division and was sponsored by Northrup Grumman, making it a meaningful opportunity to celebrate student learning and achievement.
Innovation Day is a celebration of student innovation and STEM learning. The event brings together students from across LCPS to showcase their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Attendees had the opportunity to watch students present their Innovation Projects, centered around this year’s theme, Habitat Heroes with Drones, where students designed solutions to support endangered species.
“This is a fun day for family and friends to come and see what the kids have been doing,” said Devin Simmons, PROPEL and Level Up Coordinator. “It’s also a really fun day for all of our students who really put in all of the hard work to make the day special, and all of the volunteers whose continued drive and passion provide such a wonderful opportunity for our students.”
Numerous awards were presented to the student teams, including the Battle Royal overall champion, Precision Point from Seneca Ridge Middle School. Other winners include:
Overall School Winner PROPEL 1st Place - Leesburg Elementary School
Overall School Winner Level Up 1st Place - Sterling Middle School
Overall Winner for Innovation PROPEL 1st Place - Leesburg Elementary School
Overall Winner for Innovation Level Up 1st Place - JL Simspon Middle School
In addition, guests experienced the excitement of VEX Robotics competitions, including the high-energy Battle Bots Challenge, where student teams put their engineering and coding skills to the test in a live competition. Families, staff, and community members joined in celebrating the hard work and achievements of the students as they demonstrated the power of STEM in action.