On Tuesday 21st of June, a group of 6 Year 9 students from Royal Harbour Academy,
went to Christ Church University to take part in the Amey Challenge Cup. This is an annual competition with the aim of giving girls a snapshot of life as an engineer and encouraging them to think about the variety of STEM careers available.
The girls were given an engineering problem - to design a bridge to replace an existing bridge that has fallen down. They each had a role within the team, for example civil engineer, quantity surveyor, and they had to plan the solution to the problem, including the costings and environmental issues etc. The girls then had to present their solution to the client who then gave feedback on their design.
The girls worked hard on their design, taking on board the advice and comments of the consultants, who were professionals in the construction industry; they were the first team to build their prototype and their design came in on a very realistic budget.
Feedback from the judges was very positive. Highlights being the wheelchair accessibility and planting of trees to minimise damage to the environment. The girls got a lot out of the experience and were a credit to the school.
