The St Edward’s College Hall in East Gosford was abuzz with activity and sizzling with brainpower over two days recently as more than 400 Year 9 and 10 students from 14 Central Coast colleges and schools competed in the 23rd Science and Engineering Challenge.
The nationwide outreach program, which began on the Central Coast with Newcastle University and Gosford Rotary Club in 2000, inspires school students to consider a future in STEM.
It is now delivered through 30 universities and 120 rotary clubs and annually introduces over 30,000 students to practical, hands-on applications of STEM through eight design-and-build activities.
Students work in teams to solve real-world science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenges, with a minimum of introduction and theory.
They explore scientific principles for themselves rather than being guided to a predetermined answer.
Challenges include building an earthquake resistant tower, optimising networks for high-speed rail, designing and building a load-bearing bridge, building a buggy to transport loads over undulating Martian terrain and sending encrypted messages with light.
The Challenge days foster teamwork, build problem solving and collaboration skills, and provide insights into future STEM careers to support the workforce needs of the future.
Sponsored by the NSW Government Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, the event was attended by Federal Member for Robertson Gordon Reid and State Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch.
Project co-ordinator Barry Henwood, from Gosford Rotary Club, said the event was another great success story.
“Students had so much fun with each challenge and their feedback was really positive and enthusiastic,” he said.
Henwood thanked major sponsor Star Scientific, a research facility and inventor of the HERO catalytic converter at Berkely Vale, the Combined Rotary Clubs of the Central Coast, which provided 63 volunteers over the two days, and St Edwards College for the free use of the hall and lunch and morning tea for volunteers and visiting teachers.
The overall winner, McKillop Catholic College won eight challenges on day one and on the second day Gosford High School was victorious.
McKillop Catholic College had the higher daily score, so it goes through to represent the Central Coast in the state finals in Newcastle in August.
Source:
Combined Rotary Clubs of the Central Coast