ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Students from across the Roanoke Valley stepped out of the classroom and into the world of science and innovation Friday during the inaugural STEM-EX Challenge at North Cross School.

The day-long competition focused on critical thinking, teamwork, and problem solving. The highlight of the event: designing, building, and launching homemade rockets.

“Making a rocket, that’s just so cool,” said Mac Byrd, a junior at North Cross. “It’s a first experience for me, so I’m really excited to do that.”

Teams had just one hour and a limited supply of materials earned from earlier challenges to create and launch their rockets.

“I’m a big believer in hands-on science,” said Zack Demoss, Director of I.T. & Security at North Cross. “You learn best when you’re touching it, when y

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