Young innovators from Bridgnorth Endowed School recently met up with their newly-appointed industry mentor to kick start an exciting project for the 2020 Shropshire Star STEM Schools Challenge.
The team of six students put their heads together during a focus session with Bridgnorth Aluminium Development Technologist, Preetam Kaur, to begin work on creating a product in line with this year’s brief.
Using science, technology, engineering and maths, the participating schools are tasked with designing and building something that has a positive impact on people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Will Ellison, Will Halliwell, Ben Greenwood, Brad Driver, James Whitmore and James Pennington, all from Year 9, have taken on the challenge and will demonstrate their product at a presentation event in early July.
Between now and July, Preetam will regularly visit the school to mentor the group and share her impressive STEM credentials, which include a first class degree in engineering and several years of technical experience at global rolled aluminium products supplier, Bridgnorth Aluminium.
The Future is STEM
As an engineering and technology-intensive company, Bridgnorth Aluminium understands the importance of encouraging student interest in STEM subjects through projects like the STEM Schools Challenge.
Regarding the partnership, the company’s sales and marketing manager, Adrian Musgrave, said: “Bridgnorth Aluminium is pleased to be partnering with Bridgnorth Endowed School for the upcoming challenge. Given the nature of our business, we appreciate the importance of encouraging a STEM-strong future generation.”
“Participation in the STEM challenge is a great way to engage with and educate students and help them to see how STEM subjects are applied in a real-world work environment. In the process, students also develop invaluable lifelong skills, such as teamwork and innovation, which will serve them well in any career – STEM or otherwise.”
Thirteen schools from around the county are taking part in the challenge and a long list of high profile businesses and organisations are enthusiastically backing the project, either as mentors or sponsors.
Awards up for grabs include best presentation, best operating model, best teamwork, best work plan, best entrepreneurial team, business champion and people’s choice, as well as the overall winner.
Final judging will take place at the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology in Bridgnorth on 3rd July, 2020. Good luck to Team BES.
