International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2024
Design Technology
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) took place on 23rd June. This day aims to celebrate the amazing work that female engineers around the world are doing to support lives and livelihoods every day. In order to celebrate and raise awareness of INWED, Year 8 pupils were asked to imagine that a meteorite had fallen to Earth and landed in our school field. Working in groups of 5-6, their task was to design and prototype a device to successfully move the meteorite from its landing site and into a box so that it can be safely transported for testing. They had to take into consideration the box was 2m from the landing site and, due to the meteorite being radioactive, they could not get closer than 1m to the meteorite at any time.
The students set to work rapidly, carefully considered crucial points such as how their team would "pick-up" the meteorite, how well their design solution would carry and transfer the meteorite, and what materials to use, with sustainability being one of the key factors to consider.
Then it was time to take to the field to test the prototypes! Each team presented their project design to the year group and staff, then attempted the challenge – there was a great deal of excitement as everyone waited with bated breath to see if each team’s design would work, and crucially, how quickly they could move the ‘meteorite’! Many accomplished it swiftly – with a couple coming in at 5 seconds and less, while others needed a little more complex maneuvering.
Mrs Duignan, Head of Science and Mrs Gill, Head of Technology, said: “Engineering is about discovering how and why things work as well as getting creative to make new technologies, systems or products that can improve the way we live. Women are still hugely under-represented in the engineering field, with 2021 figures indicating that in the UK only 16.5% of engineers are women. It is therefore essential to highlight to our students how important this career is, by showing them some of the interesting and creative work going on in this field and giving them real world applications of the skills they are developing. “
“The students worked brilliantly together showing great teamwork, problem solving skills and produced some truly inventive designs. Even if some of the prototypes didn’t go exactly according to plan, what was great was the understanding and enthusiasm they showed. A key part of engineering is practicing prototypes, testing and working out what is right and wrong, what works and doesn’t, so it was really important our students were able to experience this first-hand.”
Once all the teams had tested their prototypes, the finalists lined up in our school field to take part in a timed team meteorite relay challenge to move the meteorite over a 20m distance.
Individual team prizes were given, taking into account design, collaboration and presentation skills. All of the students involved produced amazing work and we are so proud of the enthusiasm, determination and creative flair that they showed!
