Around 90 students from across the South East of NSW gathered in the Bega Showgrounds Pavilion on April 1st for the Science and Engineering Challenge. The Challenge is in its 22nd year and is hosted by the University of Newcastle. Teams from each school test themselves in fun and hands-on challenges against the other schools, competing to go into the State Final and then a National Final.
The teams built water turbines to investigate fluid dynamics, constructed Mars Rover buggies to move over uneven Martian terrain, built bridges and towers out of cardboard, straws and tape to test weight limits and even worked out how to provide the lowest cost electricity to a city.
Above: Eden Marine High - the winning team!
A representative from the University of Newcastle said “It’s all about helping students understand the engineering and science opportunities that are available to them in their community. We give them basic materials like paper, string and cardboard and they get to build things like a Mars Rover, bridges and water turbines and relate it to real life so they can learn about possibilities within science and engineering beyond the classroom.”
Students attended from Bega High School, Eden Marine High School, Sapphire Coast Anglican College, Lumen Christi Catholic College and Bombala High School.
The Science and Engineering Challenge is held in collaboration with Rotary Clubs and various community organisations in every state and territory across Australia.
The Rotary Club of Bega organised the event with the support of Rotary Clubs of Pambula and Merimbula, Pambula and Merimbula Lions, Bega Cheese, Bega Valley Shire Council, GHD Engineering and the University of Wollongong. Bega Cheese, GHD and Bendigo Bank were the major sponsors.
