After an exciting school year full of invention and ingenuity, Oregon MESA’s 2025 State Champions, The Cyclones from Parkrose Middle School and Team MAPO from Early College High School, represented our state at the MESA USA National Engineering and Design Competition (NEDC) in San Diego, California. Check out a video recap of the experience on our social media, and keep on reading to learn more about all the ways MESA students shined at the competition!
This year’s National competition theme of Designing for Equity Locally to Affect Sustainability Globally, challenged students across the country to develop innovations addressing environmental challenges in their communities with global implications. Our Oregon teams rose to the occasion with creative and thoughtful solutions.
Following their win at MESA Day 2025, both teams packed their bags and took off from Portland International Airport on the morning of June 23rd. Upon landing in sunny San Diego, they joined fellow MESA students from around the country for four days of learning, teamwork, and celebration, all hosted by California MESA.
The event kicked off with a welcome ceremony, setting the tone for an inspiring week. On Day 2, our middle and high school teams each traveled to San Diego State University to present their preliminary pitches during the student symposium. After a job well done, students took time to unwind with an unforgettable visit to the San Diego Zoo.
Day 3 brought the main stage technical pitches, and our Oregon MESA teams brought their A-game with their incredible inventions:
The Cyclones wowed judges with their invention, Water-Cycle, a rain-powered water wheel designed to generate energy from runoff collected in household gutters.
Team MAPO presented Tofucool, a solar-powered water temperature regulation system that addresses both thermal pollution and water scarcity—two major environmental issues that affect aquatic ecosystems.
That evening, students celebrated at the beach, wrapping up a high-energy day of innovation
with a beautiful California sunset. Finally, the competition concluded on Day 4 with the NEDC Awards Ceremony, where we were thrilled to hear that The Cyclones earned 3rd place in the Nation!
We are so incredibly proud of The Cyclones and Team MAPO—not only for their technical excellence but for their vision, teamwork, and leadership. Their work reminds us that young inventors have the power to tackle real-world challenges and build a more equitable, sustainable future.
Here’s to another year of engineering, imagination, and impact!