Rube Goldberg regional contest to bring the lights down

Osgood, IN— The Ripley County Community Foundation’s Genesis: Pathways to Success (GPS) initiative, Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corporation, and the event’s Presenting Sponsor, Duke Energy, are pleased to announce the 9th Annual Regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest on Saturday, February 29 at Jac-Cen-Del High School in Osgood.

The public is welcome to attend this family-friendly, exciting competition. Doors open to the public at 10:00 a.m. and the first machine run will take place at 10:30 a.m. The event is free thanks to the generosity of many local sponsors.

“There will be some big surprises in store for teams and spectators at this year’s contest,” said Cheryll Obendorf, GPS Director. “It has been wonderful to see this event evolve over the years from a small local contest to an event drawing teams from around the tri-state area to Ripley County. The students involved in Rube Goldberg and other STEM/STEAM programs are truly an inspiration.”

A Rube Goldberg Machine Contest (RGMC) is an event where students of all ages compete to imagine, design, and create complicated machines in a fun and competitive forum. This year’s Rube Goldberg machines are challenged to “Turn Off a Light” with a minimum of 15 steps for Division I, a minimum of 20 steps for Division II, and a maximum of 75 steps in each Division. These clever contraptions promise to amaze and inspire kids of all ages.