Art teacher Martha Rudersdorf, left, and Walt Johnson, Sequim Education Foundation Engineering Challenge chairman, congratulate the SEF Engineering Challenge poster contest winner Mercedes Meyer. Photo by Patsene Dashiell/Sequim School District

Sequim Education Foundation’s “Mars Rover” poster contest officially kicked off the third-annual SEF Engineering Challenge, which is held Feb. 26 at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club.

Sequim High School student Mercedes Meyer’s entry won first prize, earning the senior $100 cash.

Poster contest rules called for contestants to encourage students in grades K-12 to enter the annual engineering challenge. The foundation’s engineering challenge has students to compete for scholarships in hands-on problem solving competitions. The event is open to all Sequim public school students.

Young people compete against their peers in the elementary school, middle school and high school divisions.

First-, second- and third-place winners receive $1,000, $750 or $500 scholarships in their respective divisions.

The foundation sets up scholarship accounts for winners that may be claimed once they graduate from high school and are accepted to a college or technical school of their choosing.

The “challenge” for 2011 will be a Mars Rover Contest. Contestants are required to build a wheeled vehicle powered by two rubber bands that is capable of traversing a course of water, rock and glass hazards. The vehicle with the shortest elapsed time will win.

Previous foundation engineering challenges have included an egg drop and Popsicle-stick bridge building contests (the challenge changes every year).

Rules and entrance forms may be found on the foundation’s website at www.sequimed.org.