Creative Engineering with Prizes
UNH 4-H is proudly partnering with the Young Inventors' Program and The Rube Goldberg Institute to offer our 4-H youth the chance to compete in their Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. Entering your 4-H club in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is a fun way for youth to work together to build a crazy contraption while including fun elements that follow a theme. Teams of two to five youth ages 8 – 18 can enter in either Apprentice (Gr. 3-5), Middle School (Gr. 6-8) or High School (Gr. 9-12) Divisions. Your team will work together to build a Rube Goldberg Machine to complete a simple task.
4-H Teams can submit a video of their machine to be nominated to attend the Northern New England Invention Convention, the capstone regional event for the Young Inventors’ Program, where students from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont showcase their projects and celebrate together at the University of New Hampshire.
View the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest Rules here.
To learn more about making Rube Goldberg Machines, other Chain Reactions, and some of the fun science behind Chain Reactions visit the NH 4-H Chain Reactions page.
How to Enter
1. Click the link below and register a team of 2-5 youth by February 1.
2. Coach your team, support their exploration of chain reactions and the building of their Rube Goldberg Machine.
3. Submit a 2-3 minute long nomination video to Claes Thelemarck at claes.thelemarck@unh.edu that gives a brief explanation of the Rube Goldberg Machine's theme and features, and showcases the machine in operation by Friday, March 1.
4. Nominated Teams will be invited to participate in the Northern New England Invention Convention on Saturday March 23rd.
Contact: Email Claes Thelemarck at claes.thelemarck@unh.edu or Tina White at tina.white@unh.edu
