The Hawaii Department of Transportation recently congratulated student champions of its 2026 Hawaii Bridge Builder Competition, Ian Payba and Jeter Hondo of Maui High School.
[Above photo by Hawaii DOT]
The two juniors received the award and $1,000 cash each for their school at the 17th Annual Hawaii Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM Conference on April 15 and 16 at the Sheraton Waikῑkῑ on Oahu.
The contest’s 10 finalists this year included two teams from King Kekaulike High School, four teams from Maui High School, two teams from Keaʻau High School, as well as one team each from Kaua‘i High School and Lahainaluna High School.
The statewide bridge builder competition is part of the AASHTO STEM Outreach Solutions technical service program; a national initiative by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to inspire the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers.
[Editor’s note: AASHTO hosts a similar model bridge building contest on a national level, the AASHTO Bridge Challenge, every year at its Spring Meeting.]
For the Hawaii Bridge Builder Competition – open to 11th and 12th graders at all high schools in Hawaii – participating students formed teams of two and used kits provided by AASHTO STEM Outreach Solutions that contain balsa wood and glue to build a bridge with the best strength-to-weight ratio.
All teams documented their projects, prepared and presented a professional portfolio to industry experts, then destructively tested their designs live at the Hawaii STEM Conference.
Hawaii DOT hosted this bridge building contest in partnership with Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks program, with software firm Bentley Systems providing 3D modeling software to all participating students and schools.
“We brought the AASHTO bridge builder competition to Hawaii youth to provide the opportunity for outside the classroom experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” explained Ed Sniffen, Hawaii DOT’s director, in a statement. “As STEM-related jobs account for about one-third of the U.S. workforce, we actively partner to prepare our local students for bright futures ahead.”
