Greensoul day gets students thinking about clean technology

On 7 December, Cambridge LaunchPad partners Cambridge Cleantech and Cambridge Regional College teamed up to deliver an event with Year 6 students from Bar Hill Community Primary School. The aim of the day was to educate the students about how clean technology is currently being used and enthuse them about the possibilities available within the industry.

Over the course of the day ambassadors from Cambridge Cleantech and BTEC students from Cambridge regional college delivered a variety of hands-on activities. Giving the younger students an opportunity to interact with those who have chosen a STEM related education pathway encourages them to consider the wide range of options available to them when thinking about their future. By providing inspiring role models and motivating young people to consider a future in STEM, Cambridge LaunchPad supports the growing demand for skilled professionals within the Greater Cambridgeshire area.

Upon arrival the students were split into 4 activity groups. As part of Cambridge Cleantech’s Greensoul project, students were encouraged to think about the amount of energy that is used when building our homes. As pairs, each team was given a selection of recycled materials and tasked to come up with an imaginative design for an energy-efficient eco-house. Some of their ideas included wind turbines, rainwater collection and interior lift systems.

Further activities were run by BTEC students currently studying construction at Cambridge regional college. Year 6 students worked with ambassadors to create and pitch a selection of video games: an ocean clean up game in which players have to collect plastic in their submarine whilst dodging sharks and fruit thief, a supermarket dash to catch the robber but as he runs away the player must dodge the stolen fruit falling from his rucksack. They also tried out their design and engineering skills, creating a structurally stable tower from spaghetti and marshmallows and, finally, teams produced and tested prototypes of rockets from recycled plastic.

Throughout the day students were encouraged to develop their Cambridge LaunchPad core values, ‘soft skills’ such as communication, teamwork, creativity and imagination. The team of students who best displayed their understanding of these skills were selected to attend an additional prize trip and award ceremony that is held at the end of the academic year.

A Year 6 student from Bar Hill Community Primary School, said “I wish I could do Cambridge LaunchPad activities every day! It makes me think about when I’m older and how you can study STEM at college and all of the things you can do as a job.”

Hannah Wright, Teacher at Bar Hill Community Primary School, said: “It’s been a fantastic experience to engage young children in science, technology and engineering activities that are difficult to do in the primary classroom. The Cambridge Regional College building and its resources are inspiring and get the children thinking about their future education.”

Sam Goodall, Project Manager, Greensoul, said: “It was great to share some of the work we are doing around energy efficiency and reuse of materials in a built environment with such an inspiring group of children.”

Kate Da Costa, Director of 14-19 Study Programmes at Cambridge Regional College said, “What an amazing project to be involved in. We are really keen to help promote STEM subjects and how exciting they can be, as well as promote Cleantech. These young children will be our future engineers, scientists and inventors who will have to solve environmental and technical problems we haven’t even begun to consider yet – it’s our duty to enthuse and engage them in STEM now”.

Molly Askham, STEM Outreach Co-ordinator from Form the Future CIC, said “It’s always great to hear positive feedback from students and teachers during project days like this one that are free for schools to participate in. Seeing the enthusiasm that the students showed throughout that day really demonstrates what a worthwhile programme this is.”



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