Saint Leo University’s Annual Popsicle® Stick Bridge Competition Set for March 13

Pasco Area High School and Saint Leo Students May Register and Compete; Public Invited to Attend Free Event
ST. LEO - Calling all future and amateur engineers and scientists and STEM enthusiasts!  Saint Leo University’s Department of Natural Sciences is hosting its annual Popsicle® stick bridge-building competition, 5-7 p.m., Thursday, March 13, at Selby Auditorium in Lewis Hall.

All Pasco County high school students, including homeschool and virtual school, and Saint Leo University students are welcome to test their creations at the event. Students are invited to team with one or two friends to construct a bridge and see whose bridge can withstand the most weight.
Instructions and materials will be received after registration. The bridge must be built before the event and brought to the competition for testing. The goal of the contest is to build the strongest possible bridge using only Elmer’s® glue and no more than 200 standard Popsicle® sticks. The entries must bridge a 1.2-meter span as described in the contest rules.

Those interested in participating must register by Friday, February 28 at www.saintleo.edu/bridgecontest.

There is no cost to participate nor is there a fee to watch this exciting contest! The public is invited to attend the event to watch the teams compete and see which bridge can hold the most weight (and which bridges collapse quickly)!

For more information, email Dr. Harsha Perera, assistant professor of physics and physical sciences, harsha.perera@saintleo.edu.
Saint Leo University is at 33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33574. Enter the university at the main entrance at the traffic light at C.R. 52 and Palm Boulevard. Make a right at the traffic circle and Lewis Hall is the three-story building on the right. Parking is available in surface lots. Visitors may use the direct entrance to Selby Auditorium on the ground floor.
                                                            -30-
Photo cutlines/captions
Teammates Ebony Rolle and Asha Burns compete in the 2023 bridge-building contest at Saint Leo University.
Will it hold? Students compete in the 2021 bridge-building contest at Saint Leo University.

About Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a Catholic Benedictine university dedicated to helping learners of all backgrounds and ages gain the competence and courage to be more. Offering more than 55 degree programs to more than 13,000 students each year, the nonprofit university is known for providing a values-based education in the liberal arts tradition and a community of belonging for those who seek a greater purpose in life. Saint Leo is regionally accredited and offers a campus in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, regional education centers, and several online programs. The university is home to more than 106,000 alumni. Learn more at saintleo.edu.

Media Contact: Mary McCoy, senior editor & media relations manager, mary.mccoy02@saintleo.edu, (352) 588-7118 or cell (813) 610-8416