Northampton College
All-girls engineering team races to fi nal of national competition
Five ambitious engineering students have made Northampton College history after becoming the fi rst all- girls team to reach the fi nal of a nationwide challenge to design and race miniature Formula 1 cars. The students secured a place in the final of STEM
Racing UK, where teams use their STEM skills in a real- world scenario by designing, making, testing and racing miniature cars. Kierra Rowe, Abigail Susan Arun, Adeline Muyengwa,
Geovana De Menezes and Grace Ward raced to success in the recent East Midlands regional fi nal at Boston College on January 15. Now they are hoping to accelerate their achievement
and be crowned UK champions at the fi nal at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham in March. T e competition, which is supported by Formula 1,
not only develops skills in science, technology, engi- neering and maths, but gives participants a real-world insight into marketing, project management, teamwork, communication, graphic design, fi nancial management and manufacturing. T e team’s car weighed 60.5 grams – around the weight
of a large egg and just 0.5 grams over the minimum weight – to be as competitive as possible and completed the 20-metre drag race in 1.443 seconds. In terms of design, the car’s body shape was kept minimalistic to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce weight. T rough the project, the team learned key engineering
practical skills with 3D printers and CNC machines and associated software, overseeing the entire process from initial design idea through to fi nal manufactured product. Northampton College engineering teacher Andrew
Garbutt said: “T is is the second year running we’ve had a team reach the fi nal of STEM Racing UK and for the fi rst time, it is an all-girls team. T is is something we are particularly proud of as we are determined to break down the barriers which historically, meant these types of career fi elds have been dominated by men. “STEM Racing UK is a unique opportunity for our
students to put into practice the skills they learn in the classroom, in a fun, engaging and competitive way. Our team did brilliantly at the regional stage, wowing the judges with their engineering skills. T ey achieved an additional award for best sponsorship and marketing in all classes, alongside second place overall in the development racing class. “T e heat is on to fi ne tune their miniature F1 car after losing out to fi rst place by only 0.04 seconds.”
T e college is grateful to main sponsor FESTO and
additional sponsor Renshaw, who have provided fi nancial support throughout the competition. T e team is now looking for additional sponsorship
to help with diff erent elements involved in the project, including transport, accommodation close to the fi nal event, design, manufacture and team clothing, along with help in the form of knowledge and experience. T ey also need to design and construct a pit display to impress the judges, with key content relating to their learning journey throughout the competition and a focus on sustainability.
Anyone who feels they can help should contact
andrew.garbutt@
northamptoncollege.ac.uk Find out more about Northampton College at
www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk
EDUCATION
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