136 local primary students recently participated in Engineers Australia’s annual Engineering Games with their parents at the Australian National University (ANU), demonstrating the problem solving and collaboration used in engineering processes.
In line with Engineers Australia’s key strategic priority to “create awareness of the opportunities in engineering among young Australians and their influences”, Engineers Australia holds these games annually for local Canberra and surrounding NSW school students.
Long-time Chair of the Engineering Games Michael Flood FIEAust CPEng NER said that the Engineering Games are important because they help foster tomorrow’s engineers.
“The games engender a sense of creativity and encourage children to explore options, develop solutions and actively participate in the competition with their peers,” Mr Flood said. “The games stimulate their thinking and it augers well for a large clever and creative group of young engineers as they progress through their schooling and university and go on to make a positive contribution to society.”
Kaleen Primary School Year 5 students spent five weeks preparing for their games challenges during their lunchtimes.
Kaleen Primary School teacher Lynne Sheville said that some of the children concentrated on hovercrafts while others designed towers, with the children all learning to work as a team and find out more about engineering’s basic principles and processes.
“The highlight for me was watching the students work together cooperatively and see them realise that the weight and height parameters were really important,” Ms Sheville said. “The children also developed problem solving, cooperation, design, make and appraisal skills as their towers grew."
The competition's activities included using plastic drinking straws to build a straw tower or a geodesic dome, using spaghetti to build a bridge, designing and constructing a mouse trap powered car, building a balloon powered hovercraft and constructing and racing a light-seeking robot.
A first prize of $50 and a second prize of $30 were awarded to games winners and encouragement awards were given to teams or individuals who displayed particular initiative and innovation.
"There were many highlights to the games, but by far the greatest was seeing the ingenuity and creativity of the young minds in developing and building solutions," Mr Flood said. “I’m not sure who had the most fun at the games – the organisers and volunteer marshals...or the kids who participated.”
Questacon also attended the games by putting on popular displays and experiments to entertain the children while the competitions ran.
"We need to include a big vote of thanks to the teachers who encourage participation of their students in the games, the volunteer marshals, many of who are local Engineers Australia members and ANU engineering students, and the ANU for making the facilities available each year to run the competition,” Mr Flood said.
Images: School students enjoying the Engineering Games. Courtesy of Kaleen Primary School.