TECHNOLOGY TOURNAMENT TRIUMPH FOR HNC’S YOUNG DESIGNERS
23.04.2024HNC is delighted to reveal that for the second consecutive year, a team of young designers from the College has claimed the top spot in the annual Rotary Club Youth Technology tournament.
The Rotary Club Youth Technology Tournament is an annual challenge which sees young people aged 11-16 and 16-18 take part in a challenge, putting their STEM skills to the test against their peers from other schools and colleges in the local area. Each year, the students are presented with a technology-based task, using the materials provided to design and build a product in response to the competition brief. This year, teams taking part in the advanced category (16-18) were tasked with designing a model rocket launcher that could shoot a ‘spacecraft’ three meters up using a switch, pass through a hoop, deploy a parachute, and finally, land in a specific area.
The College, who has a long history of success in the challenge having won the competition in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, entered four groups into the tournament, and this year were competing against a number of other teams from Greenhead College, Kirklees College, and Shelley College. After designing and building their rocket launcher, the groups were then tasked with demonstrating their product, walking the judges through their designs and performing a series of rigorous tests to showcase their final design. Following the judging process, it was announced that HNC had taken first place in the advanced category, winning the gold award, with another HNC team taking second place with the silver award. The gold-winning team included Leo F, Lucas F, Finlay G, and Samuel H, while the silver-winning team consisted of Archie C, Joe F, Thomas H, and Rudy G.
Students competing in the competition on behalf of HNC also take part in the College’s Design and Build Challenge enrichment, where they develop a range of skills in a ten-week programme working with the College’s 3D Design experts in the state of the art 3D Design workshop. Sara Graul, Faculty Lead Enlighten Art and Media, comments “Our Design and Build teams have worked incredibly well together to secure not only the gold award in this year’s tournament, but also the silver award too! The Rotary Club’s Technology Tournament is a highlight of the academic year for our students who are hoping to progress on to a related career, and the skills and confidence developed by taking part in this competition will support them far beyond their time at HNC. As well as being great fun, this is an opportunity that builds on the important STEM and OPTICS skills developed in the classroom and in their enrichments. Thanks to the Rotary Club for once again hosting a brilliant tournament”.
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