SI Bournemouth has repeated the STEM Science Challenge, issued last year as part of its 75th celebrations, inviting girls in years 9 and 10 in local schools to consider careers in science when making choices about GCSE and degree subjects.
The Challenge – to design, build and cost a project to help people in the poorest parts of the world which had to be sustainable, fit for purpose and cost effective – attracted entries from thirteen teams in seven schools between New Milton in Hampshire and Beaminster in West Dorset.
The projects focused on the provision of clean water, shelter, improved sanitation, safer food and improved health.
Judges drawn from local businesses and organisations chose a winning team from each year and some 60 parents, together with teachers and many members of SI Bournemouth were present in Kimmeridge House, Bournemouth University to see the prizes (£250 for each winning team and £250 for their respective schools) presented by the Mayoress of Bournemouth, Mrs Elaine Cooper on 18th March.
The winners were:
- Avonbourne School, Bournemouth – (Year 9 Key Stage 3) with their project “ALL TERRAIN WATER CARRIER” – an ergonomic all terrain water carrier to relieve women and children in developing countries from carrying heavy water loads on their heads and shoulders, thus minimizing preventable skeletal damage.
L -R: Esther Andersen, Rebecca (Becky) Rowland, Kirteen Harding (President SIB), Penny Bartlett (President SISE), Mayoress of Bournemouth, Mrs Elaine Cooper, Jorden Hardwick, Daria Zglinksa
- Highcliffe School, Christchurch – (Year 10 Key Stage 4) with their project “SOLAHEDRON“ – promoting a portable, collapsible solar cooker to enable the heating of foodstuffs and water to be done anywhere.
L-R: Dan Storey, Beth Allum, Caitlin McNee-Smith, Evie Bradley.
L-R: Caitlin McNee-Smith, Beth Allum, , Mrs Elaine Cooper, Mayoress of Bournemouth, Evie Bradley.
SI Bournemouth were delighted to see the SOLAHEDRON – a welcome, if fortuitous, link with our SI President’s current theme “See solar, cook solar”. We are also pleased to learn since the judging that the Avonbourne team are now planning to do more research and to refine their model before sending it to charities and organisations working in developing countries.
The runners- up were:
- The Arnewood Academy, New Milton (Year 9 Key Stage 3) with their project “RIVER SPLITTING” – a system to separate river water in upland villages between washing water and the clean water supply, the use of grey water for irrigation and sediment for fertilizer.
- The Bourne Academy, Bournemouth (Year 10 key Stage 3) with their project “H2EASY” – a long-distance water carrier providing people of all ages and sizes with a comfortable and practical means of collecting clean water.
SI Bournemouth is very grateful for the support of Ian Jones (BU Head of Regional Community Partnerships) and Naomi Capell (BU STEM Outreach Officer) for agreeing to host this event at Bournemouth University and for the support of several of the University STEM Assistants on the night.
The judges of this challenge were:
- Tessa Bevan-Jones, General Practitioner, Westbourne Medical Centre & Member of Soroptimist International of Bournemouth
- David Harrison, Regulations Co-ordinator, Sembcorp Bournemouth Water
- Claire Bradley, Public Relations Co-ordinator, Sembcorp Bournemouth Water
- Jane Portman, Executive Director – Adults & Children and Deputy Chief Executive, Bournemouth Borough Council
- Judy Waite, Transportation connect Financial & controls leader (PD), Procter & Gamble
- Dan Storey, Landscape Gardener and Environmental Scientist
We a grateful to them for their interest and commitment and for that of their companies, with Procter & Gamble giving each participant an Easter egg (for the second year running) and Sembcorp giving them each a water bottle.
Members of SI Bournemouth are now girding their loins for SIB Science Challenge 2014/2015!
(All photos by Jennifer Scales, member SI Bournemouth)