On June 12th 2019 Hethel Innovation delivered a STEM Teacher Workshop at Stalham Academy, where primary schools teachers were introduced to a number of STEM activities within the region. Guest speakers included Ben Jarvis, of Raptor Aerospace (www.raptor-aerospace.com) and Matt Buck, of Town Close Preparatory School, speaking on behalf of Green Power Trust (www.green-power.co.uk).
Hethel Innovation recently finished its delivery of Trailblazers, a 12-month project funded through the Sheringham Shoal Community Fund. The workshop gave teachers within the region access to the tools and activities delivered through Trailblazers to take back and apply within their schools. Activities included the creation of catapults, windmills, rockets and bridges, as the project looked to introduce STEM-based principles such as forces, structures and energy to children. As you can see in the image, the teachers thoroughly enjoyed getting creative, almost being as excitable as the primary school students!
Ben Jarvis, of Raptor Aerospace, one of Norfolk’s newest and most exciting aerospace companies was previewing the rocket-orientated training and activity days that he was ‘launching’ (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!). This glimpse into the fascinating aerospace sector would see Ben introducing topics such as aerodynamics and the vast array of careers that could be explored when studying aerospace-based subjects. With teachers set the task of launching a mock rocket to hit the moon, we really got to see the competitive side of the attendees! With the winning rocket only being around 30mm away from the target!
The day of talks finished with Matt Buck, of Town Close Preparatory School introducing Formula Goblin, organised by Green Power Education Trust and facilitated by Scottow Enterprise Park in previous years (See more here). A project supported by industry giants such as Siemens and Ford saw students put together their own electric vehicle, as they learned key interpersonal skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership, as well as learning key engineering skills along the way, such as designing in CAD, aerodynamics and many different manufacturing practices. More can be seen in the video below:
Whilst the Trailblazers project may have finished, Hethel Innovation is always looking to give back to schools and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. To enquire about having your school receive an exclusive Trailblazers session, please get in touch here.
