60 girls, 15 teams and 5 schools took part in the third Soroptimist International STEM Challenge which began last October and ended with the Finals and Prize-giving Evening on 4 July 2019 at Royal Holloway University of London in Egham. The challenge taken up by the teams was to create a workable solution to reduce one of the causes of world poverty. So since last October, the teams of girls from Ashcombe School (Dorking), Guildford County School, Hoe Valley School (Woking), Thamesmead School (Shepperton) and Tomlinscote School (Frimley) had devoted extra time regularly each week to developing their innovative ideas, which ranged from water purification, cooking and cooling devices through shelters to personal clothing and protection.
During the Finals, the girls presented their projects to the ten judges and to presiding VIPs, Helen Bowcock PhD OBE, Chair of Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex and Professor Stewart Boogert, Physics Head of Department at Royal Holloway..The girls’ enthusiasm and engagement with the STEM Challenge was clear from their responses to the questions. Excitement was in the air as the two panels of judges (for Year 8 and Year 9 teams) withdrew to deliberate.
As they announced the winners to the girls, their parents and teachers, the Judging Panel Heads emphasised how difficult it had been to come to a decision. Alexis Neville (Year 9 Panel) praised the students for their impressive work and for being willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Rhiannon Evans (Year 8 Panel) said: “We want to congratulate every team for their originality and real scientific research. You are all scientists in the making.”
The winners were: Year 8: a Guildford County School team, for their evaporation fridge. Year 8 runners-up: a Guildford County school team for their GO Green project. Honourable mention: a Hoe Valley School (Woking) team for their solar cooker. Year 9: a Tomlinscote School team for their Vacci-cool. Runners-up: a Tomlinscote School for their Snoozewear. The girls in the winning team each received £30 and their school was given £250. The runners-up each received £20 and their school was given £100. SI Woking, SI Weybridge and SI Surrey Hills gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of the prizes by Southern Co-operative and the Ken and Marjorie Robertson Trust.
On behalf of the three Soroptimist International Clubs organising the STEM Challenge, Elaine Evans thanked the teachers, parents and Royal Holloway University of London for their tremendous commitment: “So many people helped to make this a fantastic event. Anna Christodoulou, Director of Admissions an Outreach at Royal Holloway, was so supportive throughout the preparations for the Finals and Awards Ceremony. On the night, the Royal Holloway Student Ambassadors were really courteous and helpful – we discovered that not only are they familiar with the finer points of nuclear energy, they are good at putting up pop-up banners as well!”
Anna Christodoulou, Director of Admissions and Outreach at Royal Holloway said: “This is my favourite event of the year. It is always a big pleasure to work with the Soroptimists, who lead the way with their innovation and enthusiasm. And I love seeing the work of the students. Reading the project descriptions and hearing them talk about their ideas is so inspiring. I can’t wait for next year!”
In her address, Helen Bowcock PhD OBE said that the evening had been really inspiring. She congratulated the Surrey Hills, Weybridge and Woking Soroptimists for running a competition that was about encouraging interest in STEM subjects, but also about the potential of girls to go on and achieve great things. To the girls, she said that the standard of work was incredibly high and that she had been struck by their enthusiasm and social awareness – evidence of a generation of young people motivated to help other people, and motivated to collaborate to solve problems together.