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Four students from Robert Gordon Elementary School in Roselle Park won first place in the elementary division of New Jersey’s 2026 STEAM Tank Challenge State Finals. Daniella, Valentina, Victoria and Harper presented “Fire Safe Teddy,” a fire-and-smoke emergency kit concept intended to help children stay safe and escape a burning building. The final was held October 21, 2026, at the Atlantic City Convention Center during the New Jersey School Boards Association conference.
What did the Roselle Park students invent?
Fire Safe Teddy is described by AIA New Jersey as a fire and smoke emergency kit designed to assist children during a building fire. News 12 similarly characterized the project as an invention focused on helping children remain safe during fires. The available accounts identify it as a student project or prototype; they do not identify a manufacturer, retail model or commercially sold product.
The idea addresses a specific child-safety challenge: emergency instructions and equipment must be understandable and usable when a child is frightened, visibility is poor and adults may not be immediately nearby. The published descriptions do not provide a complete parts list, operating instructions or independent performance data, so Fire Safe Teddy should be understood as the students’ competition concept rather than a certified replacement for smoke alarms, fire extinguishers or a household emergency plan.
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Robert Gordon Elementary’s elementary-division team consisted of Daniella, Valentina, Victoria and Harper. The Roselle Park School District announced the state-final victory on October 21, 2026. Principal Ms. Dougherty said, “We are thrilled to announce that Robert Gordon Elementary School has WON FIRST PLACE in the 2026 STEAM Tank Challenge State Finals!”
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The result places the Roselle Park team among the elementary champions of a statewide competition that asks students to develop solutions to real-world problems and explain their ideas to judges.
Where was the STEAM Tank final held?
The championship took place at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City on October 21, 2026, as part of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s annual conference. AIA New Jersey’s event account also identifies the convention center as the site of the elementary competition.
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How large was the 2026 competition?
Participation totals differ by source and appear to describe different points in the season. The New Jersey School Boards Association reported 618 team entries from 108 schools in 78 school districts across all 21 New Jersey counties. AIA New Jersey reported 680 teams at the start of the competition, with 330 advancing to regional events and 50 taking part in the final round in April. Because neither account reconciles those figures, they should not be combined into one total.
How did Roselle Park celebrate the students?
The district said the win led to a special hometown celebration. Roselle Park firefighters welcomed the champions home, and News 12 described a hometown-heroes reception involving local police officers and firefighters. The response gave the students’ project a public-safety connection beyond the competition itself: the community’s emergency personnel recognized an idea centered on helping children during fires.
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What does the STEAM Tank program provide?
The elementary and middle-school champions could earn a combined $10,000 for their schools’ STEAM or STEM programs. The Educational Leadership Foundation of New Jersey sponsored the prize money, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association.
The 2026 season also included a pilot with Kean University. Teaching candidates served as judges and mentors, an arrangement Kean Assistant Professor Dr. Karen Woodruff said was intended to prepare future teachers for student-centered, place-based learning connected to real-world challenges. AIA New Jersey has supported NJSBA STEAM Tank since the program began, and its past president Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, served as a juror at the 2026 championship.
Can I buy Fire Safe Teddy?
No public source in the event coverage lists Fire Safe Teddy for sale. The reports identify a student invention or prototype, but provide no manufacturer, model number, retail listing or verified online availability. A generic smoke alarm, fire blanket, plush toy or commercially sold children’s emergency kit would be a different product and should not be presented as Fire Safe Teddy.
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Families seeking fire protection should continue to rely on working smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, an age-appropriate escape plan and guidance from their local fire department until more technical information about the student project is published.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about judging and the other divisions?
STEAM Tank includes elementary, middle-school and high-school participation, with teams moving through entry, regional and final stages. Public accounts emphasize the problem addressed, the practicality of a prototype and the team’s presentation, but the reviewed announcements do not publish a complete scoring rubric or a full list of competing projects. That means the first-place result establishes the team’s standing in the 2026 elementary state final, not a laboratory certification of the device.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much money did the winning schools receive?
The New Jersey School Boards Association said the elementary and middle-school champions could earn a combined $10,000 for their schools’ STEAM or STEM programs. The Educational Leadership Foundation of New Jersey sponsored that prize pool; the published account does not assign a separate amount to Robert Gordon Elementary.
Did a university help mentor the teams?
Yes. A Kean University pilot placed pre-service teachers in the STEAM Tank program as mentors and judges, giving teaching candidates practice with student-centered, place-based projects. The arrangement was described by Kean Assistant Professor Dr. Karen Woodruff.
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Who judged the 2026 championship?
AIA New Jersey said its past president Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, served as a juror at the championship. Public event accounts do not provide a complete judge roster or a published point-by-point scoring sheet.
Is Fire Safe Teddy approved fire-safety equipment?
The available coverage presents it as a student competition invention, not as certified emergency equipment. No certification, safety test, manufacturer or retail release is identified, so households should use established fire-safety products and local fire-department guidance.
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