The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a national organization that gives middle and high school students the chance to explore technology, engineering, leadership, and real‑world problem solving. Through hands‑on projects and competitive events, TSA empowers students to design, build, create, and collaborate in ways that prepare them for future careers in STEM and beyond. From robotics and coding to video game design, digital photography, construction challenges, leadership activities, and more, TSA helps students become confident innovators and leaders.

This year, the CMS Middle School TSA Chapter has been building its very first competitive season—and what a season it has been!

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Early Leadership & Preparing for Competition

Our chapter officers kicked things off at the State Leadership Conference in November, where they learned valuable skills in teamwork, planning, and project development. During the fall, students prepared for up to 25 different TSA events, covering everything from:

• Children’s stories and comic books
• Digital photography
• Leadership strategies
• Mechanical engineering
• Robotics
• Problem solving
• CO₂ dragsters
• Web and game design

Officers also began a campus cleanup project as a community service initiative—part of TSA’s mission to help students grow as responsible, service‑minded leaders.

Although the team originally planned to compete in Tonkawa in December, they made the decision to hold off until they felt truly ready. That decision paid off.

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Success in Bartlesville

In January, CMS took its first group of competitors to the Bartlesville TSA event—and brought home GOLD.

Mrs. Turner and Ms. Shields’ Life Skills class earned the Gold Medal in Community Service Video, an impressive accomplishment in their very first year competing. Even better, because this event is not offered at regionals, their project automatically qualified for State. The students are already working on an even stronger version to debut in April.

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Building Momentum for Regionals

Leading up to regionals, CMS students took on CO₂ dragsters, problem solving, children’s stories, and digital photography. They prepared:

• 10 completed CO₂ dragsters
• Two teams for the Problem Solving event
• A children’s story entry
• Eight digital photography portfolios

Along the way, students discovered one of the most important parts of TSA: deadlines are real—and meeting them builds confidence, responsibility, and resilience.

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Eastern Oklahoma Regionals: A Strong Showing

On February 25, CMS sent seven competitors to the TSA Eastern Oklahoma Regional Conference at NEO A&M in Miami, joining roughly 1,500 students from across the region.

Our students competed in:

• CO₂ Dragster Design
• Children’s Stories
• Problem Solving

They also had a Construction Challenge entry prepared, though that event ended up being cancelled.

While CMS did not medal this time, our students were competitive in every single event—an incredible achievement in our first year on the TSA stage. Even more important was what happened on the way home: students eagerly discussed what they could improve for next time.

That’s the true spirit of TSA.

CO₂ Dragster Highlights

All CMS cars ran between 1.22 and 1.37 seconds on the 80-foot track—solidly competitive, considering the full range of times from 1.035 to 1.537 seconds.

To put it in perspective:
A 1.22‑second run equals about 37 mph, with the winning car at roughly 40 mph!

Students are already brainstorming design changes for their State‑level cars.

Children’s Story

Final scores haven’t arrived yet, but once again, students immediately began discussing how to upgrade and refine their work for State.

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Onward to State in Norman

The entire CMS TSA team has now qualified for the State TSA Conference, held April 14–16 in Norman. This event will include 3,000–4,500 students from across Oklahoma, making it one of the largest student competitions in the state.

Our students have shown:

• Determination
• Creativity
• Growth
• Pride in their work
• And a willingness to learn from every experience

For a first competitive season, their accomplishments are something the entire CMS community can celebrate.

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Looking Ahead

With stronger projects, faster dragsters, improved designs, and new ideas, our CMS TSA members are ready to make a strong showing at State. More importantly, they are learning the skills that TSA was created to inspire:

Leadership. Innovation. Problem solving. Collaboration. Confidence.

We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve done—and what they’re preparing to do next.