The Tech Challenge Expands to Reno

A Bay Area Tradition Finds A New Home

For nearly four decades, The Tech Challenge has inspired young people to think like engineers: asking questions, testing ideas, learning from failure, and trying again.

This spring, that spirit of curiosity and collaboration reached a new community as students in Reno, Nevada, took part in the region’s first Tech Challenge Showcase.

Held on May 23, the event brought together about 30 students from across Reno to take on this year’s Raise the Roof engineering challenge. The inaugural Showcase captured the creativity, perseverance, and hands-on problem-solving that have made The Tech Challenge a Bay Area tradition.

Bringing The Tech Challenge to Reno

The effort was led by Reno volunteers and supporters of STEM education, working closely with The Tech Interactive to adapt the program for a new community. The Tech provided guidance, challenge materials, judging resources, and official test rigs, helping students in Reno experience an authentic Tech Challenge event.

Families responded with enthusiasm. Students embraced the chance to apply classroom concepts to a real-world design challenge, and many discovered new confidence along the way.

“I learned that I can achieve better things when I push myself hard enough,” one student said.

Another reflected, “I learned that encountering obstacles is doable with friends.”

Several families who had previously participated in The Tech Challenge while living in the Bay Area were especially excited to see the program arrive in Reno. They knew firsthand how much fun, learning, and teamwork the experience can spark.

Looking Ahead

The success of Reno’s first Tech Challenge Showcase shows how the program’s model can carry the same spirit of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation into new communities.

By sharing expertise and supporting local organizers, The Tech Interactive helped open the door for a new generation of students in Northern Nevada to experience the excitement of engineering.

We cannot wait to see where the Reno edition of The Tech Challenge goes next.

Learn More about Reno Tech Challenge