South West school students put their STEM knowledge to the test in annual Science and Engineering Challenge

Hundreds of school students keen to learn more about science and engineering flocked to the Leschenault Leisure Centre to take part in a special interschool challenge. The 2023 South West Science and Engineering Challenge & Discovery Days event took place during the first week of May, with 40 high schools and primary schools tasked with designing solutions to a range of challenges. Each day culminated with the activity Get Over It in which students were challenged to design and construct model bridges to support a trolley carrying “gold” ingots across a gap in the tracks. With the aim to interest students in STEM subjects so they can be the next generation of innovators, the Science and Engineering Challenge is an annual program run across the country in conjunction with local organising committees. Supported by the Rotary Club of Bunbury, this year’s South West event featured eight different activities for students to try their hand at and gain more of an understanding of STEM subjects and the relevant career opportunities. Students were allocated one or two tasks for the day and assessed as to how well they complete these tasks, competing against students from other schools. The tasks may include providing the lowest-cost electricity to the city’s infrastructure or developing networks to join a series of towns together in the most efficient way possible. Science and Engineering Discovery Day co-ordinator Steve Woodhouse said the event received “strong support” from the community, with a number of key companies sponsoring the event such as Albemarle, South32 and Alcoa, as well as a number of volunteers helping with the event.