Saratoga and Argonaut elementary schools have some of the youngest minds of innovation, as demonstrated when The Tech Museum of Innovation hosted the 18th annual Tech Challenge on April 30, sponsored by Cadence Design Systems. Nearly 1,000 students in grades five through 12, including those from the Saratoga schools, engineered devices to extinguish a simulated wildfire. The purpose of Tech Challenge 2005 was to inspire innovation in the next generation of leaders by prompting students to engineer a solution to a reality-based problem.

This year's Battle the Blaze challenge, according to Saratoga Elementary School parent volunteer Stephanie McConnell, required students to design, build and operate a device, or "rig." The rig had to retrieve water--in the form of a water balloon--from a lake and deliver it to the fire, or a designated target, on the top of a ridge.

"It wasn't like we spoon-fed this to them. This wasn't about parents coming up with ideas," McConnell said. "We just provided them with the materials."

Students also learned valuable lessons about wildfire prevention and the negative and positive impacts they can have on the environment.

In the fifth- and sixth-grade division, the MISS Golden Oaks from Saratoga Elementary School took the grand prize for best overall design methodology. The team included fifth-graders Monica Bunker, Isabelle Albert, Serena Chan and Sanjana Rao. The girls titled their team after the first letters of their own names. They also won the Most Eco-Friendly award. They used a dryer duct as a chute for the water balloon.

"I liked the fact that we could be as creative as we wanted, and we worked together as a team," Sanjana said.

"Our parents weren't telling us what to do," Monica added. "It was fun."

Third prize for best overall design methodology went to the Roboboyz from Argonaut Elementary School, which included Krishnan Raman, Vikas Nookala and Anoop Galivanche.

The Judge's Choice Award went to the Flying Flames from Saratoga Elementary, which included Michael Chen, Vishal Goel, Patrick McConnell and Nick Turpin.

"When everyone participates, the effect of the device can be a lot better," Michael said.

In the middle school division, second prize for best overall design methodology went to Drowning the Wrath of Fire from Gateway School of Los Gatos. The best overall design creativity grand prize went to the American Idiots from the Loma Prieta Independent Home Study of Los Gatos.

In the high school division, the grand prize for best overall device demonstration went to Wing and a Prayer from Westmont High School.

For more information and a complete list of winning teams, visit www.thetech.org.