Last updated at 09:41, Friday, 30 July 2010

SELLAFIELD’S science week kicked off in style this month in a bid to raise awareness and enjoyment of the subject with pupils and students.

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First stop was UCLan’s campus at Westlakes Science Park where St Bees Village School pupils and West Lakes Academy year seven students got the chance to see the ‘science behind super heroes’. They froze flowers and fruit using liquid nitrogen, made flubber and even panned for gold.

Next stop saw one of the week’s highlights – St Benedict’s School’s annual race day at Rowrah go-kart track. Organised by the Junior Young Engineers Club for its feeder primaries, the event involved youngsters working with STEM ambassadors to create and then race karts.

“The skills and standard of engineering from these young pupils just gets better each year,” said Mandy Pattinson, STEM support officer at St Benedict’s. “The judges were impressed with the high standard and quality of work carried out.”

St Joseph’s from Frizington were the winners, just edging St Begh’s into second place after a race-off. But St Begh’s won the best project folder award, with other prizes going to St Bridget’s (best kart) and St Mary’s (best brakelight system).

Midweek saw students from Thornhill School and St Patrick’s School, Cleator Moor, take part in a technology day organised by INPUT. Pupils designed, tested and built a variety of structures using rolled up paper tubes.

Later in the week, Sellafield hosted an Engineering Day for key stage two pupils.

St Gregory’s School, Workington, Beckstone Primary, Harrington and Orgill, Montreal and Frizington Schools took part in activities including making a launchpad and ball launcher, paper aeroplanes, hovercrafts and jitterbugs.

The week’s finale ended in style with INPUT making a return for another technology day for sixth formers.

Sellafield Centre played host to the event with students from Cockermouth and St Benedict’s sixth forms.

Ambassadors from Sellafield and the NNL helped students with a project that saw them building a moving craft capable of crossing a rope over a pool of water. Their designs had to be capable of releasing the craft into the water, stay upright and flash a warning beacon.

Brian Lawrence, from INPUT, said: “The aim of the day was to give young people an experience of engineering programmes and make them aware of the career opportunities in the industry. They first have to work out on paper their brief and design then apply science and maths principles to solve the problem. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the group and they seem to enjoy the fact that we expect them to have a number of different solutions for the one problem.”

Cockermouth students Jordan Best, 17, and Adam Jackson, 17, were members of one of the most successful teams on the day. Jordan said: “It’s a little daunting at first, especially when you’re given the tasks. It’s not until you break it down and begin to think about it does it slowly start to come together. The team have been really fun and supportive so the day has been a brilliant experience.”

“It’s been good having the opportunity to speak to some engineering ambassadors,” said Adam. “They’re industry professionals so if you want a career in engineering you can talk to them about the industry. I am hoping to go to Durham to study mechanical engineering so the day has been pretty valuable to me.”

Fellow Cockermouth student Isaac Todd, 17, said the tough project was a great opportunity to test his skills in building and problem-solving.

“We’re putting into practice everything that we have learned when it comes to maths, science and engineering,” he said. “There is a lot of science involved in making a craft capable of these things - it’s been great getting creative.

“I am thinking about a career in engineering but the day has given me a better insight into the industry.”

First published at 15:40, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk