Events, News & Newsletters
Girls take part in Hovercraft Challenge
It was certainly no ordinary school day for 79 local 14-15 year old girls recently as they built and raced Hovercrafts at Macclesfield College.
The girls from Macclesfield, Tytherington, Wilmslow, Sandbach, Fallibroome and Congleton High, Eaton Bank and Alderley Edge School for Girls, were taking part in the launch event of Macclesfield College's 'Engineering - Girls Can Do It Too' project, which promotes engineering to girls and young women.
The event, run by the University of Manchester, involved working in mixed groups to build hovercrafts out of foam, plastic and wood and then putting them to the test in a race at the end of the day!
The budding engineers were joined for lunch in the College's Silk Room Restaurant by twelve girls from Dean Valley Primary School who are also part of the 'Girls Can Do It Too' project. The girls, who are all in year 5, were given a tour of the College's European Centre for Aerospace Training, ECAT and used Scalextrics cars and the wind machine to learn about the forces and mathematics involved in engineering. They also experienced air traffic control by flying model helicopters and got the chance to sit in the cock pit of the on-site aeroplane.
Back in the Sports Hall, the older girls had finished and trialled their designs and it was time to race!
The victors were 'Brunette Airways' who won with their hovercraft 'Tallulah'. The 'Best Overall Team' prize was awarded to 'Team formally known as Potassium' for their hovercraft 'Chicken Runner' in recognition of their excellent team working skills.
'Girls Can Do It Too' Project Manager, Kay Lees, said: 'Everyone enjoyed the day immensely and learnt lots about engineering in the process - it was great to see the girls working together and having so much fun!'
The aim of the 'Engineering - Girls Can Do It Too' project is to introduce local girls to the many opportunities in the Engineering sector by demonstrating the clean technologies now used and showing them how these exciting careers can be accessed through studying Science, Maths, Technology and Engineering in school, college and university.
The Hovercraft challenge is part of a programme of girls-only extra-curricular activities for the pre-selected group of girls. Future activities will include science and engineering after-school clubs as well as visits to local engineering organisations such as Siemens, Vauxhall Motors, BAE Systems and Airbus to see modern Engineering in action, and showcase the opportunities available for females in the industry.
For more information on Macclesfield College's Engineering Department see www.macclesfield.ac.uk/ecat
12.11.2008