Institution news
The awards honoured the strongest proposals from 22,250 entries, which put forward new ideas to solve common problems for the betterment of society.
In 2016-17, children from 348 schools across the UK – supported by 1524 teachers and at least 519 volunteering engineers – sent in their inventions with ideas ranging from accessibility aids, to a device to reduce water leaks and medicine delivery solutions.
President of the Institution Carolyn Griffiths FREng CEng FIMechE congratulated primary and secondary aged children in London on their inspiring engineering solutions.
Carolyn said: “I attended the Primary and Secondary Engineer Leaders Awards at UCL. I was simply amazed at the students' depth of insight in terms of scoping a problem that they had either observed or experienced; and then creating a technical concept for its solution.
“The youngest primary school students through to those attending secondary school showed awe-inspiring creativity. This competition clearly engages a huge number of students' interest in and curiosity of engineering and technology. I congratulate all those involved in the scheme.”
The Leaders Awards programme has grown substantially since launching five years ago, with further expansion scheduled for next year. Through the programme, schools arranged for their pupils to meet and interview a practising engineer. Each child then researched a problem and devised an invention having answered the question:'If you were an engineer, what would you do?'
Chris Rochester, Regional Director, Primary Engineer Programmes, said that overall, slightly more girls than boys had taken part.
He said: “The Leaders Awards is a STEM programme designed to encourage children, from as young as 5 years old and up to 19 years of age, to engage with engineers who convey the importance and the ubiquity of engineering in everybody’s lives – from the houses they live in to the technology and tools they use, from the multiple transport system they travel in to the very food they eat.
“The great benefit is that schools develop relationships with industry, both local and worldwide, which give pupils a unique perspective of professions and their significance in the wider world. Seeing all these wonderful ideas, and judging the great value they offer has been at times hugely entertaining and often very humbling.”
Geoff Baker MSc CEng FIMechE, President-Elect of the Institution, attended the inaugural South of England Region Leaders Award event, hosted by the University of Southampton. He said:
“The inventiveness of the children is quite remarkable. The Leaders Awards show that awareness of the world’s problems and the creativity to solve to those problems exists from a very young age in children. Primary Engineer are doing tremendous work in helping the Institution in achieving one of its fundamental strategic objectives of inspiring the next generation into engineering.”
The Institution is a supporter of Primary Engineer and many members volunteer their time on its range of initiatives. Judges of the Leaders Award entries included Geoff Baker and Peter Finegold, the Institution’s Head of Education and Skills, as well as university academics and practising engineers.
Substantial engagement was undertaken by members of the Institution’s North West Region during the preliminary marking of entries.
All entrants’ work was anonymously appraised and each child received a certificate. Winners were invited to regional ceremonies held for Scotland, London, Burnley, Greater Manchester, South of England and North East. On the day, an overall winner was announced by representatives from Siemens, the Leaders Award main sponsor in England and the RAF in Scotland.
The winning proposals are then constructed by university teams. A shopping trolley with a drop-down side to facilitate easier unloading by the elderly, a rollover bench so there is always a dry bit to sit on and a sensor-stick to aid blind people detect slip hazards have been produced so far.
Find out more about Primary Engineer and Secondary Engineer Leaders Awards.
Email for more information about being involved in the 2017-18 round.