Rotary Clubs look to find the engineers of the future at challenge day

CHILDREN got the chance to showcase their engineering and problem solving skills thanks to a competition organised by the region’s Rotary clubs.
Maisie Heggie, 12, and Declan Wilson, 12, make final adjustments to their billboard beacon.

Picture: Sarah StandingMaisie Heggie, 12, and Declan Wilson, 12, make final adjustments to their billboard beacon.

Picture: Sarah Standing
Maisie Heggie, 12, and Declan Wilson, 12, make final adjustments to their billboard beacon. Picture: Sarah Standing

Pupils from Trafalgar School worked in teams to create an advertising billboard with a circuit to illuminate the design. Students had to create a circuit which was timed to light up the display with 20 automatic flashes.

The challenge, which took place at the Peter Ashley Activity Centre in Fort Purbrook, was designed to promote STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, maths).

Read More
Headteachers hit out at Education Minister's 'simplistic' vision to improve scho...
Children from Trafalgar School with some of their billboard circuit designs. (Back left) John Lovell, Rotary assistant governor with (back right) Lawrence Tristram, district governor for the Rotary Club with (left to right) Madison Stubbington-Bartlett, 13, Maksymilian Stadnik, 13, Mysha Ali, 13, Declan Wilson, 12, Tegan Hollingsworth, 13, Maisie Heggie, 12, Kian Murphy, 13 and Ethan Pook, 12.

Picture: Sarah StandingChildren from Trafalgar School with some of their billboard circuit designs. (Back left) John Lovell, Rotary assistant governor with (back right) Lawrence Tristram, district governor for the Rotary Club with (left to right) Madison Stubbington-Bartlett, 13, Maksymilian Stadnik, 13, Mysha Ali, 13, Declan Wilson, 12, Tegan Hollingsworth, 13, Maisie Heggie, 12, Kian Murphy, 13 and Ethan Pook, 12.

Picture: Sarah Standing
Children from Trafalgar School with some of their billboard circuit designs. (Back left) John Lovell, Rotary assistant governor with (back right) Lawrence Tristram, district governor for the Rotary Club with (left to right) Madison Stubbington-Bartlett, 13, Maksymilian Stadnik, 13, Mysha Ali, 13, Declan Wilson, 12, Tegan Hollingsworth, 13, Maisie Heggie, 12, Kian Murphy, 13 and Ethan Pook, 12. Picture: Sarah Standing
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With 19 flashes in a minute, Trafalgar A Team, took the gold medal for their design.

Team member, Ethan Pook, 12, said: ‘I really enjoyed the event – particularly the winning. We manged to get closest to the 20 flashes. I liked the problem solving aspect of the task.’

Fellow team member, Kian Murphy, 13, added: ‘I really enjoyed the problem solving. It was much better than normal lessons. I would possibly like to become an engineer in the future.’

Technology teacher James Grey said: ‘I always like to get the students working somewhere different. This sort of event provides a much more vocational and practical learning environment than in school.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘It also gets children working in teams and developing their problem solving and communication skills.’

It’s a sentiment shared by pupil, Tegan Hollingsworth, 13.

Tegan said: ‘I was surprised to find out we had won. It was good to be placed in a real-life situation and doing something practical is much better than working in a classroom.

‘Today’s challenge made me consider being an engineer.’

The inaugural event was organised by 11 local branches of Rotary International. Organisers hope to run the event as an annual challenge for local schools.

Fareham Rotary Club member, John Lovell, said: ‘We’ve a big interest in STEM learning as these children could be the engineers of the future. It also gives children who may not always shine in the classroom the chance to do so in a more practical task.’

Rotary Club district governor, Lawrence Tristram, added: ‘This is the first challenge we have done in this area. The children seemed to enjoy it and the winning design was brilliant.’

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.