On Thursday 14th March, Cambridge Consultants welcomed 40 Year 4 students from Cambridge Home Educating Families and Teversham C of E Primary School to take part in an exciting hands-on activity day at their office in Cambridge.
Cambridge Consultants develops world-changing products and services for client companies, with more than 800 staff, offices around the world and a headquarters on the Cambridge Science Park. As a Partner of Cambridge LaunchPad, a pioneering STEM outreach programme, Cambridge Consultants has pledged to inspire young people to think about STEM differently and see that what they learn in the classroom has real-world applications.
Vicky Larmour, Head of Outreach at Cambridge Consultants, said
“We were so impressed with how excited and industrious all the children were. They demonstrated innovation, creativity and teamwork in spades and I can already see some great STEM careers in the making.”
The students were challenged to create a gadget that would enable someone with one arm to cook and eat egg and soldiers using TinkerCAD, an app for 3D design. 65 volunteers from Cambridge Consultants mentored the students as they interviewed end-users, brainstormed ideas, produced their designs with a 3D printer and tested their final products. The young technologists also had to design suitable packaging, produce instructions for use, analyse competitors and calculate the costs and profit associated with producing their designs.
A Year 4 student from Teversham C of E Primary School, enjoyed the challenge of taking a product from design to prototype.
“The best thing about today was trying to find the solution because that was when I could be most creative. I have now learnt to be more observant before I just start a task.”
The volunteers judged the students throughout the day on teamwork, communication, problem solving and innovation. The students who best displayed these skills were invited to attend an additional prize trip and award ceremony along with other Star students at the end of the academic year.
Molly Askham, STEM Project Manager at Form the Future CIC, said
“The team of ambassadors from Cambridge Consultants have put so much effort into designing this project day and it really showed through the enthusiasm and engagement with sharing their experiences.”
If you want to find out about how you can get involved and help to inspire young people to think about their future in the STEM industry, please get in touch: cambridge-launchpad@formthefuture.org.uk
