Wisconsin Regional Competition
Theme: "Engineering Across Eras: Innovating Industrial Engineering Through Time"
On March 13, 2026, the EMDC Milwaukee Regional at Discovery World brought together incredible energy, creativity, and dedication. A sincere thank you to all the teams for their hard work and innovation, to the judges for generously sharing their time and expertise, and to the sponsors whose support makes opportunities like this possible. Your contributions helped make the event a fantastic success. Best of luck to the teams advancing to the EMDC Championship at Minnesota State University, Mankato. We look forward to seeing you next year.
WHAT IS THE ENGINEERING MACHINE DESIGN CONTEST?
The Engineering Machine Design Contest (EMDC) is an opportunity for teams of 3 to 12 high school students to design and build a complex machine using everyday objects with the guidance of a coach. The completed machine will use multiple steps to complete a simple task. Teams showcase and exhibit their machine at a regional contest with the opportunity to advance to the Engineering Machine Design Championship. Teams are scored on a Team Journal, Team Presentation, and Machine Design and Operation.
Each year, a competition theme is chosen to guide the machine build, allowing whimsical creativity to flourish. The theme for 2026 is Engineering Across Eras: Innovating Industrial Engineering Through Time.
Students explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) principles while having fun in a collaborative environment. This competition is in collaboration with the Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence. The EMDC Championship event will be at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN, on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Objectives of the Program
1. Providing a low-cost or affordable experience for students,
2. Inspiring an interest in engineering and related career pathways, and
3. Equipping students with skills that will help prepare them for future careers.
Interested in getting your students involved? Reach out to Theresa Wolf at twolf@stemforward.org for more information.
Local news coverage from past EMDC competitions:
View some of the participating teams in action at the Wisconsin regional engineering machine design contest!
