Make48 Crowns Student Teams at UW-Stout Competition
- Make48+Team
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
MENOMONIE, Wis. (August 6, 2026) — UW-Stout’s Polytechnic campus served as the backdrop for an intense weekend of innovation, housing nine incredible middle and high school teams competing in a regional Make48 challenge from July 31 through August 2.
Over the three-day event, participants were tasked with conceiving an original product idea from scratch, developing a professional sales sheet, and producing a one-minute promotional pitch video.
The competition was evaluated by a distinguished panel of guest judges:
Dr. Katherine Frank, Chancellor of UW-Stout
Michael Dehne, Culver’s
Ryan Schwoch, Red Wing Shoe Company
Winning Teams
A big congratulations goes to our top two teams:
1st Place: The Bears — White Bear Lake Area Schools (MN)
Team members: Logan Blalock, Ben Bower, Jack Firkus and Eric Olson
2nd Place: Architecting The Mastery — Cotter Schools (MN)
Team members: Jack Slaggie, Jaxson Greshik, Brielle Staudacher and Eric Paulsen
Both teams have earned their spots to represent their schools at the Make48 National competition, where they will go head-to-head against other regional winners from across the country.
Throughout the weekend, competitors were filmed and interviewed to document the fast-paced design and prototype process. The full episode highlighting the students' hard work and creative journey will air in approximately six months on Roku's This Old House Makers Channel.
Make48 extends a special thank you to UW-Stout leadership; including Mike Cropp, Carrie Ottum, Seth Hudson, Beth Hein, Kate Liu and Scott Revoir, – as well as their student volunteers Jackson Killinger, Madi Klaja, Thomas Shamla, and Maddox Hartwell who dedicated their time to help make the event a success.
Gratitude also goes out to our sponsors and Tool Techs, who provided the state-of-the-art equipment, materials, and product development expertise required to bring these students – and a memorable trophy – to life: Trimble SketchUp, Makerbot, ShopBot Tools, Thunder Laser, Fastenal, Carhartt and Dynamism.
A full recap and a sizzle reel will be released in the coming weeks. Up next: Make48 Nationals this September!
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About UW-Stout
UW-Stout Polytechnic supports career-focused applied learning and research through real-world experiences and offers engagement opportunities with its business and industry partners. Its graduates have a 99% employment rate within six months of graduation. The FabLab, a jewel among the nearly 300 labs and studios on UW-Stout’s campus, provides innovators, artists, and creators access to state-of-the-art 3D printers, laser cutters, and leading-edge digital fabrication tools. Open to both students and community members, this facility serves as a launchpad for turning imaginative ideas into reality. https://www.uwstout.edu/
About Make48
Make48 is a nationwide invention competition docuseries that gives teams a challenge at the start of a three-day event. With just 48 hours, teams must create a prototype, promotional video, and sales sheet, and present their idea to a panel of judges. The teams have access to a makerspace and numerous Tool Techs that can make almost anything, patent attorneys, marketing experts,
and more. This format allows everyone to have a level playing field and the chance to win, with no prior technical knowledge necessary. Make48 Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter YouTube
Make48 Media Contact
Cassandra Muñoz
The filming detail stood out to me—knowing the students were being interviewed while working adds a layer of pressure that makes their achievement feel even more impressive. I also ended up opening Busy Beaver weekly ad afterward because it carries the same thread a little further.
What an incredible challenge for these students, especially given the rapid turnaround and the emphasis on original ideas. It's fantastic that resources like UW-Stout's FabLab and the dedicated Tool Techs help level the playing field, making it possible for anyone to explore an infinite craft of possibilities. Huge congratulations to the winning teams and good luck at Nationals! ✨
It’s great to see students taking part in a hands-on competition and turning their ideas into something real. Creative events like this can also be a fun source of inspiration for seasonal projects. Halloween Jackets could be a cool way to bring creativity into a Halloween-themed design challenge.
This is a great example of how competitions can encourage students to collaborate, think creatively, and turn ideas into practical solutions. It’s inspiring to see student teams getting opportunities to challenge themselves and learn through hands-on experiences. On a lighter seasonal note, 2026 Halloween Costume ideas could also be a fun creative project for students and teams.
J’ai trouvé cet article facile à lire, car les explications restent simples et naturelles. J’ai essayé le Online CPS Test et j’ai trouvé le résultat clair. Il affiche les clics par seconde de manière simple. Les utilisateurs peuvent faire plusieurs essais et comparer leurs scores pour suivre leurs progrès.