In March 2025 Oregon MESA successfully hosted four regional Demo Days for the first time in MESA’s history. A total of 683 students, families, advisors, and community members joined the four events. Demo Days were a testament of Oregon MESA’s students’ dedication to innovation, problem-solving, and the power of human-centered design. Through creativity, perseverance, and collaboration, they showcased how MESA students can turn their ideas into impactful solutions that shape the future.
Check out photos from the event in our 2025 Demo Day Gallery!
Greater Portland Demo Day
Greater Portland Demo Day was held on Saturday, March 1st 2025 at OMSI. The museum opened its doors to a total of 371 MESA community members. Excited families, community members, elected officials, and volunteers joined the event to witness the incredible inventions of students from MESA chapters in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. From an innovative “forest roomba” to water wheels converting gutter water into energy, MESA’s students showcased their deep commitment to the theme of Designing for Environmental Sustainability. While families enjoyed breakfast, volunteer judges from the STEM industry connected with each team and scored their projects using a detailed rubric. Families were then encouraged to tour the invention showcase and vote for their favorite project, enjoy their complimentary entry to the museum, or participate in College & Career activities with Family Coordinator Miriam Petersen.
Community members joined the event and cheered on winning teams from Alder Creek Middle School and Putnam High School who placed first in the competition.
Salem Demo Day
The following Thursday, March 6th, 2025 students from Marion County gathered at Garmin for Salem Demo Day. With planes taking off and landing right outside the window of the venue, students connected with peers from higher education, showcased their inventions, and explored the possibilities awaiting them in STEAM fields. Twenty teams presented their inventions, and students from Waldo Middle School and McKay High School took home the coveted Demo Day first place light bulb trophy.
The awards ceremony also featured a very special keynote speaker, MESA alumna Lesly Rojas. Lesly, now an electrical and computer engineering student with a minor in computer science at Oregon State University, shared how her passion for engineering began in seventh grade when she joined MESA, where she discovered the power of human-centered design—her favorite aspect of being an inventor. As a first-generation student, it was through MESA that she learned what an engineer was and most importantly that she was meant to be one. This passion was contagious, as Lesly’s younger siblings also joined the program at McKay high school continuing a legacy of innovation and perseverance. Her younger brother, now a MESA alum and MESA mentor, followed in her footsteps at Oregon State University, while her other younger brother is part of the Waldo Middle School team that won first place at Demo Day. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of MESA, proving that when given the right support and opportunities, students can turn their dreams into reality and inspire the next generation to do the same.
Klamath Falls Demo Day
On Tuesday, March 11th, 2025 Klamath Falls families and students joined their local Demo Day at Oregon Institute of Technology – Klamath Falls Campus. After a tour of the college, students met with exhibitors from Klamath Community College and the OIT Business & Industry Club. Nine student teams set up their poster boards and pitched their inventions to the expert judges and excited community members. The projects tackled diverse issues within the field of environmental sustainability, from water filtration to fire mitigation. One project, called the Water Bug, was ambitiously thought up by a team of sixth-graders for the use of quantifying the volume and velocity of a body of water. Another middle school team engineered a device that would keep syringes holding essential nutrients for waterfowl at appropriate temperatures for workers out in the field.
During the awards ceremony, educator Isadora de Souza delivered an inspiring keynote about her work in agriculture, soil, and crop sciences, and the winning teams from Ponderosa Middle School and Klamath Union High School were announced. The event was a total success for our southern Oregon community.
Lane County Demo Day
Finally, on March 14th (pi day) students in Lane County gathered at Spark at Booth Kelly for the final Demo Day of the year, stunning attendees with their inventions. Team Compost from Springfield High School presented their innovative “Composting 101” device, designed to help users assess whether an item is compostable. The device uses a combination of weight, temperature, and other sensors to determine if the item can be composted and recommends the appropriate composting process. Additionally, the device provides guidance on the best use for the resulting compost. For instance, it may suggest using certain compost for vegetable gardens, while other compost may be more suitable for growing non-edible plants, such as flowers. Students showcased so many incredible projects, but “The Wetlanders” from Cascade Middle School stood out with their invention and took home the first place trophy.
At the event, students also got the chance to hear an inspiring keynote speech from Michael Barrow, an esteemed IT industry veteran with over 35 years of experience in network engineering, cloud architecture, software development, and cybersecurity. Hailing from humble beginnings as an inner city youth in New York City, he shared how education was the key to breaking free from the socioeconomic limitations he faced early on in his life and how his mission today is to inspire students to pursue careers in technology and achieve whatever goals they set their hearts on.