Port Chester Salutes Student for Efforts in PBS Design Challenge

Port Chester school board has soluted Port Chester High School junior Jonathan Hidalgo for his efforts that led to being one of five finalists in the Top Builder Challenge at DESIGN Squad Nation, a project of the WGBH Educational Foundation. 

Rules of this year’s competition, an event to engage students in hands-on engineering, required students to build a car only out of pasta. Hidalgo's car made out of pasta was applauded by members of the school board.

Finalists in the challenge were posted on the DESIGN Squad Nation web site and visitors were asked to vote for their favorite design. Many students in PCHS teacher Donna Smith’s Studio Art Class took this challenge. 

“Their art work was inspiring,” said Smith, who added that her students combined art and science to create their models. 

Hidalgo, who is very talented in visual arts according to Smith, came to Port Chester two years ago from Ecuador.  While he had wanted to be an auto mechanic, he is now considering a career in car design after this project. 

More information on the Challenge and photos of Hidalgo’s and the other finalists’ pasta cars, can be found at: http://pbskids.org/designsquad/topbuilder/2/