The Cobb Tank competition, organized by the Cobb County School District’s Academic Division and coordinated by the STEM/STEAM & Innovation Department, returned for its annual event to highlight innovative educational projects. The initiative is modeled after the television show Shark Tank and provides educators with a platform to present their ideas for potential funding of up to $10,000.
Eight schools participated in this year’s event, each given eight minutes to pitch their proposals before a panel of judges referred to as “sharks.” The panel included Adam Hill, Assistant Superintendent for Middle Schools; Debbie Broadnax, Principal at Ford Elementary School; Paul Gillihan, Principal at Campbell High School; Amanda Dillard, Special Education Teacher at Pope High School and 2025 District Teacher of the Year; Allison Carter, Director of Cobb Safety Village; and Dr. Preethi Titu, Associate Professor of Science Education at Kennesaw State University. The judges evaluated each project based on innovation, sustainability, and direct impact on student learning.
“Cobb Tank is one of my favorite events each year because it celebrates the creativity and bold thinking of our educators. It’s inspiring to see innovative ideas come to life—from our youngest learners in elementary school to our oldest students in high school,” said Dr. Adam Casey, STEM/STEAM & Innovation Supervisor. “Being able to support these projects and help turn big ideas into reality across Cobb County Schools is what innovation in education is all about and illustrates our priority in the Academic Division.”
Following presentations from participating schools, nearly $70,000 was distributed among various projects focused on science, engineering, literacy, environmental education, and sensory development.
South Cobb High School received $9,300 for its “We are the Eagle SynBio Squad” project. This initiative involves a team of 10 students competing in the BioBuilderClub synthetic biology season by designing a project targeting cellular cancer mutations modeled in E. coli. Funding will provide lab equipment such as a Nanodrop spectrophotometer to facilitate research and quantitative analysis as students gain experience in molecular biology.
Other winning proposals included:
– South Cobb Early Learning Center: $10,000 for an Early Learning Sensory Garden designed to promote hands-on exploration and holistic child development.
– Sprayberry High School: $8,000 for “Engineering for the Stars,” supporting participation in NASA-related challenges and establishing an engineering lab.
– Durham Middle School: $7,650 for “STEAM on Wheels,” which will supply portable STEAM carts across classrooms.
– Pickett’s Mill Elementary School: $10,000 for “The Treasure Trail,” an outdoor learning environment with interactive stations.
– Barber Middle School: $8,000 for “Acworth Clean Stream,” where students design eco-friendly prototypes using AI tools.
– Austell Elementary School: $5,000 for “Top C.H.E.F.S.”—a hydroponics garden and kitchen lab promoting sustainability.
– Pebblebrook High School: $10,000 for “Cells in Motion,” which will use digital microscopes to enhance biology instruction.
Each funded project reflects ongoing efforts within Cobb County Schools to foster student engagement through innovative teaching approaches.
