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Knowing the power of engineering to inspire youngsters, an IMechE member has recently supported two schools near Leeds with a big collaboration project. It involved 180 pupils at East Garforth Primary School and the Strawberry Fields Primary School designing and building gravity racing cars.
The support of Russell Crow MIMechE and Paul Olson, both of Network Rail, enabled the pupils to embark on a voyage of discovery, which took in new learning experiences. Crow and Olson explained to the pupils what their jobs entail and how the subjects the children learn in school help them in industry. The pupils then visited the local Ginetta car factory to learn about aerodynamics, safety, braking and steering.
When it came to building their racers, the pupils followed a prototype made by the engineers, to assemble their own prototype out of card. The pupils set up a basic friction test to determine the best material to use for their brake pad. The children had to use their measuring and recording skills, as well as interpreting data.
On race day, 30 gravity racers took part in three contests. Oliver McCormick, aged eight, from East Garforth Primary School, said: “Making the racer was really exciting. My race day role was waiting in the pit stop and checking the kart over.” Another pupil, Niamh, aged eight, said to engineer Paul Olson: “You have inspired us so much, and when we are older we want to become engineers.”
Crow said: “The project was an excellent way of getting youngsters to start thinking about the world in a different light and apply numeracy skills outside the classroom.
“The kids were all really enthusiastic about being able to build something as exciting as a gravity racer. They were extremely responsive and open to listening to someone unfamiliar come into their school to talk to them about how they could apply engineering skills.
“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to tell such an attentive audience how rewarding a career as an engineer can be and to field thousands of questions from a room full of inquisitive minds.”
Helen Neary, the lead teacher for the project at East Garforth, said: “Having the engineers in the classroom allowed the pupils to be exposed to science and engineering in industry and enabled them to think about their future careers at a young age.”
- If you can help the schools with their 2013 engineering challenge, please email Hazel Morgan:h_morgan@imeche.org