TeenTech Event

Ten year 8 students visited the Hampshire Court hotel for the annual TeenTech Event - a highly interactive STEM event with a focus on the contemporary world of Science, Engineering and Technology. The event consisted of three key challenges and attractions named the innovation, insight and challenge zones. As soon as our students arrived they were amazed at the scale of the event which included 27 other secondary schools across Hampshire and Berkshire.

First off, they took part in the challenge zone where they undertook a group activity to consider how natural and manmade landscapes could be controlled in terms of environmental effects such as flooding. Each group was given container with a model play park and they were provided with a range of materials to create defences and objects that would stop the park from flooding such as sponges, play dough and string. It was fantastic to see how all three groups were able to consider not only how to place defences in their containers but make those defences and objects usable and versatile. Each of the solutions was tested by adding water to the containers and the students were able to reflect on the effective parts of their designs and how they might implement further changes.

In the challenge zone, they worked as a single team to come up with a unique and innovative future solution using Internet of Things technologies. They brainstormed ideas, refined their ideas and created model blueprints by identifying key inputs, processes, outputs and how the internet could be used to make smart us of data. The team chose to pitch their idea of a new technology would help doctors make a diagnosis using state of the art sensors and feedback tools. It was great to see the team win a certificate for ‘best presentation’ for the manner in which they were able to describe their idea with impact.

Next was the insight zone where the Year 8’s were able to speak to large number of exhibitors. They found out about new and exciting technologies and how they are used to make people’s lives smarter and more enjoyable, and spoke to industry specialists about their work and career journeys. They were given demonstrations on the various technologies are used to produce bank notes and how those notes can be recycled into strong and reusable plastic items such as furniture and flooring. They were given tutorials and demonstrations of how robots can be programmed and how to develop their computational thinking skills to enable robots to become more autonomous, more intelligent and more efficient. They were also introduced to the latest VR technologies where they were able to experience what it would be like for the visually impaired to undertake common routines.