Photos: Students compete in annual Rube Goldberg Contest

(OSGOOD, Ind.) – Genesis: Pathways to Success hosted the annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest at Jac-Cen-Del this past weekend. 

The competition brings together middle school and high school students who compete to imagine, design, and create complicated machines in a fun and competitive forum. 

There were nine teams who participated and the challenge was to “Open A Box”. 

From elaborate machines to imaginative storylines, each team engineered a unique chain reaction machine that transformed a simple task into an entertaining and complex chain reaction.

Awards for the 2026 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest were distributed as follows:

• Division I First Place: St. Louis Catholic School (SLS Gamesters)

• Division I Second Place: St. Louis Catholic School (SLS Pirates)

• Division I Third Place: Batesville Middle School (Goldburgers Bowling)

• Division II First Place: Oldenburg Academy (Koopa Troopas)

• Division II Second Place: Anderson High School (The Plank Walkers)

• Division II Third Place: Jac-Cen-Del High School (Ripley County Engineering Academy) 

• Creativity Award: St. Louis Catholic School (SLS Pirates)

• Best Dressed Award: Anderson High School (The Plank Walkers)

• Most Rube Goldbergian Award: Oldenburg Academy (Koopa Troopas)

  
  

“Our regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest continues to grow with each passing year, and the brilliant students who construct the intricate machines continue to impress the crowd with their ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking. Genesis: Pathways to Success sincerely appreciates each team for stepping up to the challenge and bringing inspiring energy to the event. Not only do the students gain hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) experience, but they also develop essential life skills in the process,” stated Jenna Kohrman, Educational Program Coordinator of Genesis: Pathways to Success. 

Sponsors for the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest include the Ripley County Community Foundation and Franklin County Community Foundation.