It was a gathering of like-minded young people, enhanced by a strong flavor of competition. But what it really was was a celebration of flexibility, adaptability, technology and the future.

On Jan. 27, the Conestoga Valley (CV) School District once again hosted the Pennsylvania Technology Student Association (TSA) Region Two competition. Over 350 students in grades six through 12 participated and competed, including some from Conestoga Valley, Manheim Township (MT), Solanco, Pequea Valley, Garden Spot and Penn Manor and from as far away as Lebanon, Berks and Chester counties.

Some 40 competitions in science, technology, engineering and math were conducted for high school students, and another 40 similar competitions were contested for middle school students.

"I think the question is, 'Do we teach technology, or do we give kids skills to adapt in today's world?'" said Chris Miller, the TSA Region Two competition director and a technology education teacher at Conestoga Valley Middle School. "That's a hard concept to understand. The jobs these kids are going to get in the future don't exist yet. We don't know what we're training them for. We're giving them skills for a lifetime. It always amazes me what those new things are."

Dozens of Conestoga Valley students took part in the TSA Region Two competition, and they represented themselves rather nicely.

Conestoga Valley students brought home first-place finishes in a total of 12 events. CV High School students captured top-three medals in 10 different competitions, while their middle school counterparts garnered top-three finishes in 13 events.

"Our students did great," said Miller. "Almost every student qualified in one event. We're excited about how our kids did. We're excited about how all of our kids did. It was an awesome day."

"Our high school students in the MT Technology & Engineering Club (MTTEC) recently competed in the Technology Student Association (TSA) regional conference at Conestoga Valley High School," said Manheim Township superintendent Robin Felty. "Teacher advisers Ben Whitby and Rich Nolt will now shift the club's focus to preparing for the state conference in April and MTTEC's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Fest in May. Our students took what they learned in school beyond the classroom - and found their hard work and dedication brought success."

Among the contested categories were video game design, structural engineering, flight, medical technology, mass production, website design, problem solving, coding and forensic technology. The results were determined by 100 judges who work in various related industries.

"They get to refine the stuff they're working on," said Miller of the contestants. "Part of the technology process is to refine things. They're a cross section of our student population. We have the academic kids there. We have the kids who are good with their hands here. You can see every demographic there. We're all encompassing because we work around students' schedules. Kids make time because they know it's important."

Through their efforts, some students qualified for the state TSA conference in Seven Springs in April. TSA is a national organization dedicated to sparking students' interests in science, technology, engineering and math.

"There are events that you can prepare for in advance," said Miller. "Kind of like, 'Show us the skills you've learned so far.' It's basic skills, like problem-solving skills. We're trying to help our students define and develop their leadership skills. How do you think outside of the box? It's just making sure our kids are well-rounded. But beyond that, we're preparing them for beyond high school."

"It's really neat when you get emails from parents that say, 'TSA is the absolute reason my kids are where they are today,'" Miller continued. "That's why we're here, to develop these skills. There are a lot of reasons why we do it."

For additional information on TSA, go to https://tsaweb.org/.