The winning team from Miami Valley Career Technology Centre.

A team of students from Miami Valley Career Technology Centre in Clayton, Ohio has won the 2011 Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Construction Challenge that was presented by Volvo Construction Equipment.

The team beat 23 others from the US and Canada to win the final competition that took place last week in Las Vegas during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show.

The 2011 Construction Challenge consisted of two parts - the H2Oh Yeah! Challenge and the Road Rumble Challenge sponsored by Ditch Witch.

In the H2Oh Yeah! Challenge, students answered questions in a game show format and then participated in a mini-challenge that involved solving real-world water infrastructure problems. The Road Rumble Challenge required each team to build a device that delivered construction materials from one location to another over rough terrain on a custom-designed course.

The challenges allowed students to showcase their creative problem-solving skills, knowledge of mathematics and engineering and ability to work together as a team. Students were also exposed to leaders in the construction industry and learned about the variety of construction careers available.

The winning team received scholarships and a variety of prizes. The AEM initiated the Construction Challenge in 2007 as a response to the severe shortage of qualified workers to meet future construction needs.

2011 Construction Challenge Results
Overall Winners
1st Place - Miami Valley Career Technology Center, Clayton, Ohio, sponsored by Ohio CAT
2nd Place - Pearce and Richardson High Schools, Dallas, Texas, sponsored by Kobelco Cranes North America
3rd Place - Creekview, RL Turner and Newman Smith High Schools, Carrollton, Texas, sponsored by Liebherr
Road Rumble Challenge Winners
1st Place - Pearce and Richardson High Schools, Dallas, Texas, sponsored by Kobelco Cranes North America
2nd Place - Bartlett High School, Bartlett, Illinois, sponsored by Volvo Construction Equipment
3rd Place - Creekview, RL Turner and Newman Smith High Schools, Carrollton, Texas, sponsored by Liebherr
H2Oh Yeah! Challenge Winners
1st Place - Chippewa Falls Senior High School, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, sponsored by Astec Industries
2nd Place - William Henry Harrison High School, Harrison, Ohio, sponsored by Gorman-Rupp Company
3rd Place - Bartlett High School, Bartlett, Illinois, sponsored by Volvo Construction Equipment