City of Mesa Engineering Department Builds Bridges with Local 6th Grade Students

February 24, 2026 at 10:17 am

For the past 15 years, the City of Mesa Engineering Department has hosted an annual Bridge Building Competition for sixth grade students to celebrate National Engineering Week.

With guidance and mentorship from Mesa's engineering staff, students at Crismon Elementary School, 825 W. Medina Ave., design, build and test bridges constructed from popsicle sticks, learning about engineering principles and real-world applications.

The week-long event concludes Thursday, Feb. 26, at Crismon Elementary at 10 a.m. with the official bridge building competition. Student projects will be evaluated in three categories: strongest load capacity, best-looking design and most creative team name. The competition culminates with an awards ceremony at 12:15 p.m. to celebrate the students' hard work and innovation.

National Engineering Week promotes engineering careers and highlights the vital contributions engineers make to our community. Through this annual event, Mesa's Engineering Department inspires and encourages the next generation of engineers.