Bob Jones students advance to construction challenge championship

Students from Bob Jones High School will travel to Las Vegas and compete in the national finals of the AEM Construction Challenge March 21 through March 25 at the international CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction industries trade show.

The students are advanced to the national finals, after taking second place at the Atlanta Construction Challenge Qualifying Rally on Jan. 22. They are the only team representing Alabama at the national finals.

Regional rallies across the U.S. and Canada gave students the chance to demonstrate their creative abilities and imagination as they vied to secure a spot to the national competition by building structures that related to transportation and water infrastructure.

At the national championships, the top 24 teams that advance from the nine regional rallies will compete for scholarships and other prizes and have the opportunity to meet and learn from leaders of the construction industry. Regional rallies were held on Jan. 15 in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Enid, Okla., Milwaukee, Richmond, Seattle and Toronto. The last of the nine rallies was held in Atlanta on Jan. 22.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) designed the Construction Challenge specifically to engage teens in an educational setting and spark interest in careers in the construction industry.

The Challenge offers a chance for students, teachers, parents and community leaders to learn more about the scope and contributions of the construction industry and the need for skilled professionals to solve infrastructure problems such as crumbling bridges, overcrowded roadways and aging water and wastewater systems.