The Academy of Science was buzzing with electricity this past Saturday as approximately 600 students from 10 different elementary schools and 5 middle schools gathered for the annual PROPEL/ LEVEL Up Innovation Day.
For the second year in a row, Leesburg Elementary has claimed the prestigious PROPEL Overall Top School Award, proving that when it comes to innovation, they are the team to beat.
A Gauntlet of Innovation
The competition was designed to test every facet of modern STEM skills. This year, the Leesburg PROPEL Team navigated a series of high-stakes challenges that required creativity, technical precision, and nerves of steel:
Habitat Heroes: Students delivered a "Shark Tank" style pitch to save an animal of their choice, blending conservation science with persuasive public speaking.
Drone Mastery: Teams learned the intricacies of flight and the logic of programming to pilot drones through complex maneuvers to assist with their animal habitat.
Vex Robotics: Students engineered robots to navigate a field featuring 11 distinct elements, testing their driving skills and mechanical reliability.
The Battle Bot Arena: The day culminated in a high-energy showdown where robots went head-to-head in a test of durability and strategy.
The Winners' Circle
While the school took home the top overall prize, several individual teams earned high-profile recognition for their specific achievements:
The Faces of Innovation
This massive achievement was made possible by the hard work of the students and the dedicated guidance of their mentors. Congratulations to the 2026 PROPEL Team:
The Students:
Alan Guevara, Alani Howard, Alyssa Sorto, Amelia Hoy, Anastasia Klimanova, Andrea Carabantes, Audrey Akerboom, Axel Vasquez Mena, Brylee Hardin, Colton Gregory, Cora Adams, Denisse Rivera, Evelyn Sandoval, Edmund McGuirk, Julian Guevara, Julianna Frederick, Kai Callejas, Kaylee Michaels, Korbin Petterson, Livi Gregory, Lucia Wright, Margaux Zimmerman, Matthew Congreraz, Noel Addo-acquah, Sarah Young, Stella Cross, Steven Salmeron, Shiloh Addo-acquah, and Shanon Bautista Vasquez.
The Coaches:
A huge thank you to Ms. Moravek, Ms. Christ, Ms. Ambrose, and Ms. Cooper for coaching these young innovators to another historic victory.
Leesburg Elementary continues to set the standard for STEM excellence in the PROPEL Program. Whether they are saving animals or dominating the robot arena, these students are proving that the future of innovation is in very capable hands!