Schools celebrate Big Bang Fair success
Devon schools are celebrating success after being put forward to the finals of a national science competition.
KEVICC (King Edward VI Community College) in Totnes and Tavistock College were selected to go through to the National Science and Engineering Competition in March 2016 in Birmingham following this years Big Bang South West Fair at the University of Exeter.
Devon County Council supported the Enterprising Young Devon award category again this year which will see winning schools able to access funding for further enterprise activity delivered by the Education Business Partnership-South West during the next academic year.
It was also a resounding success for West Exe College which had three winning entries in the Big Bang Fair. The college praised Devon County Council for its support through the Enterprise in Schools Grant programme which allowed the College to purchase materials to build prototypes and also to fund inspirational trips.
The 3 products from West Exe were a Sensory Blanket, Solar Headphones and a project called, 'Could insects feed the hungry world of tomorrow'.
One student said; “It was a valuable learning experience in business, enterprise and marketing, as well as a rewarding break from a lot of previous hard work in exams and towards crest awards. We now have a much stronger grasp on how businesses promote themselves, and feel we better connected with our local culture and heritage."
The winning entry from Tavistock College was a vibrating 'Crazy Camel' game also in the Enterprising Young Devon category sponsored by Devon County Council.
The Crazy Camel is an interactive toy as well as a game and assembly kit which aims to develop making skills and creativity while being a really fun game to play with friends. For more information, go here
The Fair attracted nearly 2000 eager students from across the south west to participate in one of the largest events of its kind regionally. The emphasis was on interaction and the chance to explore the wide range of careers and opportunities in the field of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
A huge interactive exhibition hall with over 80 local, national and international organisations, including Western Power Distribution, MET Office, South West Water, TDK, and AnTech Ltd, were represented. These companies were on hand to share their expertise and enthusiasm and it certainly inspired those attending.
In addition 550 young people took part in a 'Mega Class'. Led by the National Space Academy and sponsored by Western Power Distribution, this was a unique experience which saw every student take part in experiments led by some of the UK’s best science presenters. This year’s students explored the science of getting into space, a challenge that will be tackled by British astronaut Tim Peake this November.
Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economy and Growth, said: “The fair is about bringing STEM subjects alive for young people in Devon and being a source of inspiration and excitement to help drive entrepreneurship. I believe it’s really important to encourage interest in these subjects and ensure young people are aware of the varied and rewarding careers available to them in these areas.
"We are really pleased to be continuing to support a competition that recognises the enterprising spirit of Devon’s schools and young people. We’ve seen some really impressive ideas and concepts come through this competition in previous years and this year is no exception.”
