2020-2021

A small group of our Y9 students were selected to participate in this years Unilever Inspire programme, due to the restrictions COVID -19 everything was provided digitally so there were online resources provided to take the students through the various departments that allow the company to operate, for example, formulation departments who worked on creating the general formulation and initial concept behind the products, Digital R&D (research and development)  who focus on analyzing consumer trends to be used in developing products, packaging and advertising campaigns, and upscaling who aim to understand the most effective way to take a product from lab production (prototype) to batch production and where possible continuous production.

When developing their product the students did manage to complete lab work was  in school bubbles (including appropriate safety measures to prevent transmission) . The project; HBIIC ( Hygiene British Intelligence International Company) Shamditioner was able to place 2nd in the final contest.

The project was aimed at creating a fully natural and sustainable self care product that is good for the whole body whether washing hair or the body. The packaging itself was designed to be sustainable, students planned to do this by having bottles made from bamboo a fast growing and easily sustainably sourced plant.  

Joe and Sofia won the national competition UK Junior Water Prize and are now representing the UK in the international competition.  

Their project Hydro-Filtricity combined their initial projects to deal with water waste in an efficient way that can allow for the production of clean energy in addition to the filtration of microplastics.

The students presented their project over Zoom, to a panel of three expert judges. Sadly, in any other year they’d be on their way to Stockholm on an all-expenses-paid trip, to represent the UK in the international final. 

Joe said: “The sheer exhilaration of opening the email to see we had won was overwhelming, to be presented with such a prestigious award was a moment I think I will remember forever. The ability to work on global problems at a young age provides great power, showing that young minds determine the trajectory of humanity. Going forward, with the help of the UTC, I am going to fulfil the opportunity that has been presented before me and use it to further fuel my ambition to become a cosmologist, a passion in mathematics ensures an affinity in solving problems. I want to give a personal thanks to Dr. Dyer and Ms. Linkman for devoting a lot of time not just to hydro-filtricity, but to all of the school projects in our PBL sessions.” 

“Receiving such a distinguished and opportunity-rich award has further inspired me to make a difference in our society,” says Sofia. “It is so brilliant that young people have the platform to truly establish positive change in global issues, and for me and many others this is down to CIWEM for introducing us to experts in the field of water and to the project work of like-minded students across the globe. This experience has equipped me with a multitude of skills to pursue my aspirations of becoming a physiotherapist; a job dedicated to listening to people’s needs and making a difference in their lives. However our success would have been impossible without the dedicated guidance of Dr. Dyer and Ms. Linkman who continue to inspire us and the students of our school.” 

Congratulations go to students who have this week been announced as Winners of a national competition in association with DSTL. 

Eight year 12 students from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC were chosen to take part in an exciting project set by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). The task was introduced by DSTL’s space scientists and engineers and involved designing a moon-base for humans to live on Callisto, Jupiter’s second-largest moon, using existing or developing technologies.

The competition was open to all the UTCs in the UK. The students worked in teams of 4, each having a role as a different type of engineer:

• Spacecraft Systems Engineer – designing the craft to land on Callisto.

• Resources Engineer – Plan to grow food, generate energy, source water etc.

• Environment Engineer – Creating a habitable environment.

• Societal and Health Engineer – Deciding on the crew, how to deal with illness, communication methods etc.

After working on the project for a week, the students presented this plan to the DSTL and were selected as the winning team from all of the UTCs that had entered.