FLOATING cities could be the way of the future if the Engineers Without Borders outreach program at Mackillop College on Wednesday is any indication.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Year eight students participated in workshops that focused on buoyancy and flotation where they created a floating house using cups, cardboard, straws, aluminium foil and sticky tape.
The EWB school outreach program sends teams of trained volunteers into schools to run creative, hands-on workshops designed to open young people’s minds to the challenges facing developing countries.
Technological and Applied Studies teacher Rhys Jones said this sort of a program was the first of its kind to be held at Mackillop.
“The EWB program normally only operates in the metropolitan areas and they’ve expanded their outreach to rural areas and we were fortunate to be one of the schools to participate,” he said.
As part of the workshops, a floating “city” created by one group held 128 marbles before it sank in a tub of water. The next closest was 67.
Mr Jones said it was important for students to have a level of engagement with universities to see what career pathways were involved in engineering.
“We’ve seen a definite growth in students wanting to take up careers in engineering and technology areas with an increase in technologies available at our schools,” he said.
“Students are being more engaged in the more technologically advanced instruments that used to only be in universities, but are now in high schools.
“They’re used to being given skills in those areas before they even leave high school.”
The school found a need to apply for the program because of the increased challenges regional high schools faced in promoting career awareness.
“The one thing I would like the kids to get out of this program is to see that there is a growing need for engineers in our society and that they don’t always have to be a typical engineer,” Mr Jones said.
“There are different levels of engineering and studying where the kids can make a difference by working in developing nations to improve people’s living standards.”