Saint Mark’s emerge winners for the second year running in IET Faraday challenge 
 
STUDENTS from St Mark’s West Essex Catholic school, Passmores Academy and Steward’s Academy took part in an IET Faraday Challenge Day (FCD) sponsored by Jack Petchey Foundation. The students became real-life engineers for the day when they researched, designed and built solutions to real engineering problems as part of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Faraday Challenge Day on Wednesday 16th January 2019. 

 
A total of 176 events are taking place across the UK to host 2018-19 IET Faraday Challenge Days.  Six teams, two from each school competed at the event to find the best solution to an engineering-related challenge. The events are free of charge and set up by IET staff and volunteers.   
 
This year’s challenge is in association with the James Webb Space Telescope but the brief for these young engineers is shrouded in secrecy to avoid unfair preparation and research. Teams must race against the clock to solve a real-life engineering problem, putting their engineering and technology knowledge and skills to the test. All the teams battled out brilliantly well, presenting fantastic ideas about how to transport and deploy a telescope in space. After a hectic five-hour challenge, teams were judged on their planning skills, team work skills, budgeting skills and pitching and St Mark’s team emerged winners for the day! 
 
Natalie Clerke, IET Faraday Education Manager, said: “Students who take part in the Faraday Challenge Days this year will experience working as an engineer through hands-on and practical engagement with real-life challenges relating to the James Webb Space Telescope.” 
“There is huge demand for new engineers and technicians and we’re confident that this will challenge young people’s perceptions of engineers and inspire the next generation by giving them an insight into the life of a real engineer, the variety a career in engineering can offer and just how exciting and creative engineering is.” 
 
The events aim to encourage more young people to study and consider exciting and rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by using creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills. 
 
Each team member in the winning group will be awarded a prize and a trophy for their school. The top five teams from across the UK will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the national final at The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh in 2019 to compete for a cash prize of up to £1,000 for their school. 
 
The Faraday Challenge Days are part of a wider Faraday education programme, made up of a whole host of teaching resources and activities to inspire and attract the engineers of tomorrow.