BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET)– Thirty-six teams from around the state have been competing in the Cyber Madness Middle School Tournament. Eleven of those teams went on to compete for the crown in the final round of the tournament.

Cyber Madness competitions combine all areas within the realm of technology into one, big tournament between schools. This allows students to become versed in the different areas of IT while having fun with their classmates.

Educators say the format of the competition allows for teamwork in a way that other types of tech competitions don’t.

“That’s what makes it so fun, you’re not just taking a test or something like that,” said technology outreach coordinator, Tony Aukland, “It’s a really fun competition that helps bring together a lot of concepts of teamwork with your classmates, and then you come here and get to see other schools and compete against them.”

For educator Amanda Stoltz, she’s loving seeing the kids’ enthusiasm for learning grow.

“When we started doing these competitions, I’ve had students who’ve never been part of any club or activity, and now they had their place that they could be a part of,” said Stoltz, a teacher at Beach High School. “That’s been fun to see them grow and learn some life skills and hopefully make a lot of money.”

A team from Oakes took 1st place today, with Jamestown’s St. John’s Academy taking 2nd and 3rd place.

Additionally, the high school Cyber Madness Tournament will be happening in February.

If you’d like to learn more about cyber madness, click the link here.