FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — More than 120 high school students will be on the University of Arkansas campus Saturday, March 29, to participate in the annual Engineering Challenge competition sponsored by the University of Arkansas pre-college programs office and the College of Engineering. Students in this year’s event will compete in four individual categories that include a Styrofoam boat race, mousetrap car race, egg drop competition and balsa wood bridge design. Individual competitions begin at 10:15 a.m. in the Health Physical Education and Recreation Building (gym 1, gym 3 and natatorium).

“The goal of the competition is to help students recognize and develop their potential to excel in math and science and encourages them to pursue postsecondary degrees in these fields,” said Keith Brink, director of the university’s Upward Bound Academy for Mathematics and Sciences.

For the past several weeks, students in the Upward Bound math and science programs at the University of Arkansas and neighboring institutions have been busy working on their projects for the event. Other institutions involved include Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark., and Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla. In addition to the individual competitions, students will compete in a spontaneous team challenge to determine which program will be crowned the overall champion.