For the second year in a row, students from Union Intermediate School brought their energy, creativity, and curiosity to the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NC TIES) conference, standing out as the only school group from Sampson County to participate in the student exhibitions. This annual event, held at the Raleigh Convention Center, is a lively gathering where educators and students from across the state come together to share ideas and celebrate innovation in technology and learning.
Eighteen third through fifth graders from Union Intermediate made the trip, each with a project in hand and a story to tell. Their teachers, Ms. Freeman (health and PE) and Ms. Torres (fifth-grade math), were right by their side, offering guidance and encouragement as the students prepared to step into the spotlight.
The projects on display were as diverse as the students themselves, reflecting a cross-curricular approach that blended science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Here are just a few of the highlights:
Elliot and Kevin, both in fifth grade, created a math game called “Jumper Man” using Google Slides. What started as an extra credit assignment turned into a full-fledged game, complete with math challenges, a boss character, and levels that get harder as you go. The boys were encouraged by the attention their project received and are already dreaming up new games to build together.
Nativa wowed attendees with a stop-motion animation that explained the human digestive system. Using the Skitbot Studio app and a web camera, she brought hand-drawn body parts to life, complete with sound effects, showing step by step how food travels through the body.
Jennifer’s project explored emotions through coding. She used a Microbit to display different facial expressions- happy, sad, surprised, and plain- on a mermaid drawing inspired by a book Ms. Freeman read in class. Jennifer admitted that the coding was a little hard and took days to finish, but the hard work paid off: one conference-goer told her they were “very impressed” and could see her excelling in computer engineering someday.
Kalis, another fifth grader, built an engineering and coding project called “golf castle.” She constructed a castle and programmed a mini-golf game where a spinning door, powered by a motor and servo, challenged players to roll a ball inside. She also demonstrated how friction and force work using golf balls of different weights, tying in lessons from physical education and physics, and how it all relates to Newton's Laws of Motion. Kalis’s game was showcased at the conference check-in area, where many attendees stopped, trying their hand at putting. Kalis said she found the coding and engineering work challenging but wasn’t going to give up on the project.
Hassan designed a fast-paced computer game in Scratch, challenging players to click a moving smiley face as many times as possible before time runs out.
Tavaeh created a graphic-rich slideshow book report on “Remarkables,” bringing characters and plot points to life with her design skills.
Kyler’s “myself” project combined electronics and coding. Using an AA battery, a chip, and MakeCode, he programmed flashing red lights to spell out “My name is Kyler.” An adult at the conference called it “so cool” and praised Kyler’s quick learning, suggesting he might have a future in programming.
Aviana designed an LED mask inspired by the conference’s Mardi Gras theme, “Let the good TIES roll.” She coded a Microbit to light up the words “Good TIES” on the mask, choosing to display it on a mannequin rather than wear it herself. An adult reviewer was impressed by her skills and saw potential for her in computer programming.
Ms. Freeman reflected on the experience, noting that preparing so many projects was a big task, but seeing the students’ dedication and creativity made it all worthwhile. Some projects, especially those involving coding and engineering, took more than a week to complete, a testament to the students’ perseverance.
For the Union Intermediate students, presenting at NC TIES wasn’t just about showing off their projects - it was about sharing their excitement for learning and connecting with others who are just as passionate about technology and innovation. The event provided a platform for the students to showcase their diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects to educators and attendees from around the state.
Principal Dr. Pierce summed it up best, praising the students’ hard work and saying he’s already looking forward to next year’s showcase.
The Union Intermediate team left Raleigh with new ideas, new friends, and a sense of pride in what they accomplished-proof that big things can come from a small county when students are given the chance to shine.
