News & Views item - June  2004

 

 

University of Newcastle's Science Challenge Scores $680,000 to Spread its Wings. (June 30, 2004)

    In May last year we reported that "Rather than compete counterproductively for an ever dwindling cohort of students to enrol in engineering and enabling science programs Newcastle University's  Faculties of Engineering and Science pooled resources and together with service organisations, industry and the NSW Department of Education and Training developed the Science and Engineering Challenge to increase secondary school students' participation in the enabling sciences.

 

    That was followed in November 2003 by "Engineers Australia, recognised the contribution made by the University of Newcastle's "Science and Engineering Challenge" by conferring on it the Sir William Hudson Award, the highest of the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards."

 

    Now the Federal Government has awarded the project $680,000 over the next three years to expand the Newcastle initiative Australia wide.

 

    The Challenge takes science and engineering problems to year ten students. They compete in a range of projects such as building a model bridge to take certain loads, making a hot air balloon and flying it around a course and finding their way around a cyber maze.

 

    Physics Professor John O’Connor says, “The Challenge requires a combination of analytical, intellectual and physical skills. It is designed to show students how to work as a team to overcome engineering and science problems.”

 

    In the past three years the Challenge has expanded rapidly. In 2003 for the first time high schools outside NSW competed in the Challenge final and Professor O'Connor added that the university has now "been approached by people in Malaysia and England to see if we could take it overseas.  Nothing is finalised yet but there is certainly interest."

 

    Professor O'Connor said that the funding will allow them to start our program in all states and territories ultimately making the Challenge available to high schools across Australia by the end of the decade.

 

    His vision is that the Challenge creates a flow on effect, inspiring students take up the challenge to study science and engineering at university. One of the key factors of the challenge is the involvement of the local community through Rotary and Engineers Australia.

 

    “Figures from the NSW Board of Studies show that there is a direct relationship between the introduction of the Challenge in high schools and increased numbers of students entering science and engineering when they continue on into higher education,” says Professor O’Connor.

 

    The Science and Engineering Challenge is a combined effort of the Faculties of Science and Information Technology and Engineering and Built Environment, at the University of Newcastle.