The Rochelle Fire Department recently teamed up with students from FOCUS House in Rochelle for a hands-on STEM learning activity that blended creativity, problem-solving, and a bit of suspense – the classic “egg drop challenge.”

Students designed and built contraptions to protect a raw egg, earning points for how light, small, and creative their designs were before putting them to the ultimate test. With the help of Rochelle firefighters and their ladder truck, the projects were dropped from nearly 100 feet in the air – about the height of a 10-story building.

The results were a clean sweep: Every single egg survived without a crack.

The collaboration highlighted both the ingenuity and teamwork of the students, as well as the generosity of the Rochelle Fire Department, who volunteered their time and equipment to make the event unforgettable.