IN South Fayette Spring 2017 | Page 62

South Fayette High School STEM Team Top Winners in Regional Competition

The South Fayette High School STEM Team took first place in the AIU regional competition for the 2017 PA Governor ’ s STEM Challenge . South Fayette joined teams from Central Catholic , Central Valley , Moon , and South Park high schools to present their innovative ideas and prototypes that addressed issues affecting Pennsylvanians . Each team was tasked with researching , identifying , and engineering a solution to a problem present in the Commonwealth . The teams presented diverse ideas from hydroponic gardening to portable sterilization devices and traffic control systems . South Fayette students were lauded for their excellent presentation skills , thorough documentation and professional attire . From their initial ideas , research and data collection to prototype design , they worked as a united team with open communication and collaboration . The SF team advisor , James Hausman , noted prior to the awards ceremony that win or lose , he was extremely proud of this team . Seniors Ashumi Rokadia and Matthew Detar , and juniors Michael Kugler , Christopher Rodi , and Joshua Milteer , comprised the core team , while freshmen Jay Abraham , Suraj Bokil , and Anish Thangavelu assisted in the development of their project . outh Fayette

SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS

FBLA Benefits

Whenever a group of people come together and ideas are shared , there becomes potential for something great to happen . There is no doubt that South Fayette ’ s Future Business Leaders of America club and Snuggle Bugs & Company took advantage of that potential when they partnered with each other .
Snuggle Bugs & Company is a local business that allows people to sell their gently used items through its seasonal resale events , Snuggle Bugs and Rock-It . Sellers can earn money by selling toys , clothing and other goods that their families no longer need , while shoppers get great deals on clothes , toys , baby equipment , home goods and more . In fact , many consignors earn enough through their sales to buy everything their kids need for the upcoming season . “ It just makes sense ,” says Megan , a mom of three from Bethel Park . “ I sell the things my kids have outgrown and get great deals on the sizes they are moving into . With the money I earn from selling , I offset my spending , keeping my family on budget . My kids look great and have fun and have new things to play with . We look forward to the events every season .”
The entrepreneurial brain behind this , Leigh Levy , saw how quickly her own children outgrew items and wanted to create something of value for local families who were undoubtedly experiencing the same thing . Instead of going to the trouble of putting together a garage sale or posting the items online , local parents have access to her “ pop-up ” resale superstore . Snuggle Bugs and Rock-It seasonal events offer sellers 60 to 80 percent of the sale price for the items that they can no longer use , and savvy shoppers find tremendous deals on everything they need for their growing families . The whole community benefits from this “ recycling ” model , keeping thousands of families returning season after season to the resale events . When Mrs . Levy created these consignment events , she hoped to bring something of value to local families by helping them clear out the things they no longer needed , while providing an affordable way to get the things that their growing families require . The Snuggle Bugs event does just that .
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Over the past several years , thousands of local families have been able to stretch their budgets by buying at Snuggle Bugs and Rock-It . Mother to three children , and long-time Snuggle Bugs participant , Karie Dunn-Golden says , “ I shopped for my boys in the fall and , after spending less than $ 200 on my three boys , they were SET for fall and winter ! I found so much great stuff !! There is nothing like it !” While Snuggle Bugs has everything for the kids covered , the Rock-It event uses the same format to offer items for juniors and ladies as well as items for the home . Shoppers get to spruce up their wardrobes and their living spaces while saving a bundle . Sellers get to make money selling the things in their closets and around the house that they have grown tired of . It ’ s a win-win !
It makes sense that South Fayette ’ s Future Business Leaders of America club would want to partner with a company that has helped so many local families . When the FBLA advisor , Mrs . Quirk , presented this partnership opportunity to the FBLA members last year , they were eager to get started because they would be able to learn how a company works from the inside . In fact , all students were able to participate last season by preparing items for consignment that their families donated to this project , aiding customers during the on-site event , or helping set up the events at the Iceoplex venue .
While both groups have benefitted greatly from this arrangement , they do not stop at the community level . After earning over $ 250 from selling their own used items , the South Fayette students have decided to split the proceeds between the National Kidney Foundation , which is the Pennsylvania FBLA ’ s State Project Charity and the March of Dimes , a community partner of FBLA . This allows students to create an impact on a national scale , funding research to cure kidney diseases , and working to end premature birth , birth defects , and infant mortality .
This year , South Fayette ’ s FBLA hopes to take this project to new heights . Already the students and Mrs . Levy are planning a districtwide initiative in which classrooms are encouraged to donate , volunteer and attend the Snuggle Bugs and Rock-It events . With everyone ’ s increased efforts this year , students and Snuggle Bugs & Company wish to continue to positively impact people both locally and nationally . For more information about these events and how you can help to support South Fayette High School ’ s FBLA club ’ s efforts , please visit www . SnuggleBugsConsignment . com and www . ShopRockIt . com , or call 412-832-0642 .