Past

3 CLF Schools Qualify for National AASHTO TRAC Bridge Challenge

Re: (3) CLF TRansportation And Civil engineering (TRAC) Teams to represent Maryland in the 2020 National AASHTO TRAC Bridge Challenge

For the third consecutive year, CLF schools qualify to represent Maryland in the National AASHTO TRAC Bridge Challenge! For the second consecutive year, Chesapeake Science Point and Chesapeake Math and IT North (CMIT-N) will make an appearance, together. This is CMIT-N Public Charter’s third appearance as a program. For perspective, only eighteen (18) teams were announced from across The United States for the AASHTO Bridge Challenge. Together with our AACPS, PGCPS, and MDOT SHA partners, we congratulate all the Maryland TRAC Teams and National finalists, especially our CSP and CMIT-N’s qualification and representation for Maryland.

It might be easy to assume the veteran status of these teams by their results but this could not be further from reality. In fact, the first CLF school only began the TRansportation And Civil engineering (TRAC) program in late 2017. As you may know, that didn’t stop that year’s CMIT-N’s “Bold & Beautiful Bridge” Team from making MD State history when selected for 2018 Nationals. That year marked the first team in the State of Maryland’s history to compete at the AASHTO TRAC Nationals while also our CMIT-N’s inaugural year of the TRAC program. Then, word spread fast and innovation replicates at CLF schools even faster.

By 2018-2019, all CLF schools were introduced to the TRAC program through MDOT SHA. CSP went to Nationals in their inaugural 2018 year and was accompanied by returning CMIT-N program but a new team. During the 2019 National tournament, these two schools represented in each category (7-8; 9-10; 11-12). If anyone had asked the schools or CLF if we could repeat history a 3^rd year in a row? Ask if these schools would return a third time to repeat the AASHTO category representation? That’s a tall bridge to order!

Yet, today, we can all celebrate that reality. We have back-to-back return qualifications to the AASHTO TRAC Bridge Challenge out of only (18) schools Nationwide and again, CSP and CMIT will represent Maryland. These outstanding teams and coaches at CSP and CMIT-N deserve it. We are so proud to see new participants from our schools on our TRAC teams setting the bridge, higher and higher. This is a growing TRAC program at all our schools and in Maryland. We could not be more excited to see our teams representing the State of Maryland on this National scale. We wish these STEAMazing innovators, makers, Bridge Builders—every balsa-bit-of-success in their upcoming AASHTO TRAC NATIONAL BRIDGE CHALLENGE 2020!

Here are our CLF Schools & Winning Teams:

Grades 7-8:

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy North MS

TEAM: Savvy Scholars

Students: Maranna N., Yashasri G., and Jescie T. w/Coach Crespo