Budding young engineers from five schools in Bristol and South Gloucestershire are set to take up the task of researching, designing and building solutions to real engineering problems.
Hanham High School (Bristol) will host the Faraday engineering challenge day on Thursday 4th November. Teams from Yate International Academy (Bristol), Mangotsfield School (South Glos), Sir Bernard Lovell School (South Glos) and The Grange School & Sports College (Bristol) will also take part.
The event is one of 45 Faraday engineering challenge days, which will involve pupils from 270 schools across the UK. The events are organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
The challenge days aim to encourage more young people to study and consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by encouraging creativity, innovation and problem solving skills.
Gareth James, the IET’s Head of Education, said: “The Faraday programme is all about inspiring and attracting tomorrow’s engineers. Engineering is often an invisible industry amongst young people. They also have preconceived negative ideas about what engineers look like and the jobs they do.
“Through these challenge days and the entire Faraday programme we aim to encourage more young people to study STEM subjects and consider engineering as a possible career path.
“The young people attending the challenge days will experience hands-on, practical events to challenge their perceptions and make them realise engineering is an exciting, rewarding career path.”
Each challenge day will comprise six teams of six 12 to 13-year-olds. From the 270 schools participating, the three top teams will be invited to participate in the UK final at the Big Bang Fair in London during March 2011 to battle it out for the top prize of £1,000.
Source: Institution of Engineering and Technology
