A student-inspired installation is now a permanent part of the new Museum of Utah's Inspiring Utah gallery. The project, which began as an eighth-grade assignment, features an interactive ski racing game designed by Rowland Hall students.
The project originated in spring 2023 when students were studying the role of museums in society. A group consisting of Lila Bates, Kunga Kabsang, and Meredith Maloy focused on Utah's skiing history. Their original prototype used a cardboard slalom course and magnetized racers to teach visitors about the state's connection to skiing and legends such as Stein Eriksen, Ted Ligety, Alf Engen, and Jack Reddish. Following their pitch to the museum team, the group learned in the summer of 2023 that their design was selected for inclusion in the museum.
The final installation is located within the museum's 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games exhibit. It has been transformed into a seven-foot-long interactive game where museum-goers use foosball-like handles to maneuver 3D-printed skiers through race gates and a light-up finish line. Kunga Kabsang noted that the exhibit has become a major hit among visitors, despite the high level of competition during play.
The initiative is an example of project-based learning, a strategic priority for Rowland Hall launched in 2022–2023. This educational approach emphasizes student voice, problem-solving, and connecting curriculum to real-world challenges through community partnerships. Dr. Brady Smith, an eighth-grade English teacher who helped facilitate the museum design project, stated that the project allowed students to impact how Utah history is presented in the museum.
Rowland Hall seniors visited the completed exhibit during a Beyond the Classroom day after the museum opened this summer. The exhibit includes a placard noting that the Rowland Hall students were essential to the project's reality.
