Aug 1, 2009

Wollongong Kids Doing Science and Engineering


Great to see high school kids from Wollongong having a go out at UOW in the Science & Engineering Super Challenge - run by the School of Electrical, Computing and Telecommunications Engineering, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, University of Wollongong, University of Newcastle, Department of Science, Education and Training, Engineers Australia and supported by the Wollongong Rotary Club. Winners of the 2009 event were TIGS. And great to see the team gender balance was very close to 50:50 !

At the local stage they found themselves building bridges, hovercraft, leprchaun cannons & eco-habitats - devising eco energy efficiency - at UOW Northfields Avenue Wollongong Campus over June 10-11 2009 - more.

The TIGS kids, led by Science Teacher & former TIGS Head Girl, Ms Fiona Fisher, then went onto win the NSW State event at Macquarie Uni - and are now headed to Nationals at Bendigo, in late October. They went into the State Title as lowest scoring underdogs, with no expectations of winning, and just decided to have fun. And isn't that what UOW's Science Centre head, Professor Glen Moore has always said - that science and engineering should be fun for kids.

How many of these budding techo's would have gotten their starting inspiration out at the Wollongong Science Centre or Wollongong's FutureWorld EcoTechnology Centre? Or perhaps attending UOW's Faculty of Engineering's annual Creative Design Competition for 1st year Engineerng Students kicked off in the early 1970's by the legendary Professor Bob Wheway (and he's still helping running the competition nearly 40 years on!) with Dr Bob Davey



Refer - info from 2008 event, which has grown from 2000, when it started out at University of Newcastle and has grown to a national event.