All About STEM NEWS
Metro Mayor opens Big Bang Competition Awards Ceremony – Winners Announced!
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition is a national competition for young people to showcase their impressive science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects and to reward and recognise their achievements.
The semi-finals for this competition took place at The Big Bang North West 2018 and the ceremony was opened by All About STEM, Managing Director, Michelle Dow and Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram.
Following a tour of The Big Bang North West 2018, the Metro Mayor talked about his passion for STEM and gave a motivational and inspirational address.
“All About STEM are doing amazing work with schools… STEM will enable the fourth industrial revolution, a digital gateway to our future!”
The Big Bang UK Competition judges were overwhelmed by the incredible, inspiring and innovative ideas that entrants brought to the fore. In addition to a place in the National Finals at The Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, all entrants had the opportunity to win a prestigious Big Bang North West sponsor award.
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition at The Big Bang North West is sponsored by AstraZeneca.
Here are the amazing and innovative finalists and award winners along with their generous award sponsors…
North West Young Scientist of the Year – AstraZeneca
Winner: Birkenhead School – Fatberg – Fuel or Foe?
“The project focused on fact, not on the media hype. The pupils work was logical and methodical in its approach and they applied science to a modern day problem.”
About this award: At AstraZeneca, we believe that by pushing the boundaries of science, we will be able to deliver life-changing medicines to help patients wherever they are in the world. We have sites here in the North West, in Liverpool and Macclesfield and we employ scientists from all disciplines to join us in our quest to make new medicines. We can’t stress the importance of studying STEM subjects. We recognise overall achievement across all fields of science.
The Big Bang North West is sponsored by AstraZeneca.
North West Young Engineer of the Year – Air Products
Winner: Millom School – Sensory Stick for the Visually Impaired
“A very inventive and well worked project. The project made good use of the visual aids and the pupil was clearly very self-motivated and the judges have no doubt that he will go far in his career of choice!”
About this award: Air Products’ core purpose is making the world more productive, energy efficient and sustainable. Our products and applications help customers improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are at the heart of our innovative solutions that help us achieve this. We are very proud to be sponsoring the NW Young Engineer of the Year which recognises excellence in engineering.
STEM Club of the Year – Shaping Futures
Winner: Gateacre School
“This STEM Club always brings along some fantastic projects to compete in different competitions across the region. Every year the STEM Club develops some brilliant ideas and the talent and efforts of the teachers and students are clear to see. The club is a credit to the school and one of the best in the Liverpool City Region.”
About this award: Shaping Futures understand the importance of pupils being able to work together on real life projects and activities and we want to recognize those teachers and pupils who have put time and effort into extracurricular activities to further their knowledge and skills. This award recognises overall achievement for a STEM Club who have gone above and beyond to support each other in their learning.
Award for Communication – Unilever
Winner: Millom High School – Sensory Stick for the Visually Impaired
“An outstanding idea, executed and presented with the passion of a true entrepreneur. The demonstration model was excellent but the judges were even more impressed by the ideas to make the next model lighter and easier to use. Overall a brilliant idea!”
About this award: It’s not good enough to come up with the best idea that’s going to save the world if you can’t explain it to anyone else. Being a leading scientist, engineer or mathematician means being able to communicate your ideas to a team of people. We also need good science and engineering communicators to show the public what fantastic advances we’re making in STEM.
Award for Innovation – Sellafield
Winner: Millom School – ROV design using Biomimicry
“This team took a very creative and original approach to rethink ROV designs. They took their inspiration from nature and evolution to come up with a revolutionary design.”
About this award: Sellafield Ltd is safely delivering decommissioning of the UK’s nuclear legacy as well as fuel recycling and the management of low, high and intermediate level nuclear waste activities on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. This award recognises an innovative solution to a problem and originality in thinking in any area of STEM.
Award for Team Work – Royal Air Force
Winner: Millom School – Healthy Crisps for Coronary Heart Disease Sufferers
“Their project was a perfect example of teamwork and clearly demonstrated strong cohesion, natural support for each other and unrivalled enthusiasm.”
About this award: The Royal Air Force has a distinctive character and spirit that relies on an essential combination of team work and leadership to deliver air power worldwide regardless of the challenges or the environment. This prize will be awarded to a project that has demonstrated excellent team working skills throughout the project.
Award for Digital Excellence – Lime Pictures
Winner: Little Sandbox – Kerbatron 3000
“This project really impressed because it will help so many lives and potentially open up the world further for wheelchair users, giving them confidence and enabling them to explore their community more.”
About this award: Lime Pictures is a market leader in digital excellence and innovation. Providing programme support ranging from glossy social media campaigns to stimulating debate and providing online help and support around issue-led stories. The prize for digital innovation recognises the best use of digital technologies to solve a problem, fulfil a need or inspire change.
Bright Spark Award – ScottishPower
Winner: Little Sandbox with Kerbatron 3000
“A very bright idea with a potential for widespread application and of definite benefit to enhance the quality of life of wheelchair users.”
About this award: A love for learning and an enquiring mind are attitudes that underpin all research in STEM. This award recognises the sparks that are needed to be successful in STEM – inspiration, enthusiasm an enquiring mind, communication and desire to take their work forward.
Most Dedicated Teacher – Educate Awards
Winner: Danielle Hersey from Woodchurch High School
“The effort that Danielle puts in to promoting STEM in the school is clear to see. Every year we can tell she works tirelessly to raise the profile of STEM in the curriculum and her determination and enthusiasm is a credit to the school.”
About this award: This award goes to a teacher who goes above and beyond in supporting their school and students with their Big Bang North West project work.
Protecting the Environment – Knowsley Safari
Winner: Liverpool Life Sciences UTC – Mush Better Planet
“Plastic pollution is a global problem that needs a solution and this project uses Mushroom roots to make packaging that is both sustainable and biodegradable.
The judges were impressed by how well the students had researched the subject and that they already have future plans in place to make sure this product is really improving and protecting the environment.”
About this award: We are strongly committed to the principles of conservation and sustainability. As both a zoological park and a visitor attraction we recognise that our own operations and actions of our guests have an impact on the environment. This award recognises students thought carefully about the environment within their project.
Award for Experimentation – evoke
Winner: Pensby High School – How Polarizing is your Drink?
“This project tackled a very topical and important issue. The team showed good experimentation skills, an iterative approach to proving their hypothesis and showed a good understanding of a potential use in the manufacturing process of soft drinks.”
About this award: Experimentation is a key part of any STEM project. It represents the ability to keep trying and to carefully think through results and refine experimental techniques. This award celebrates the resilient problem solver.
Award for Endeavour – ChargePoint Technology
Winner: Birkenhead School – Fatberg – Fuel or Foe?
“This team showed that they had thoroughly researched and developed their knowledge and then applied their skills to solve the problem. Their passion in presenting was exceptional!”
About this award: STEM careers need people with the right attitude; people who set themselves goals, who work hard and are willing to learn, who don’t give up but keep on getting up and trying again when it maybe doesn’t work out quite right first time. This award recognises students who demonstrate a ‘can-do’ attitude.
Big Bang North West: Big Bang UK Competition Finalists!
Queens Park High School – Dunking Biscuits
Millom High School – Healthy Crisps for Coronary Heart Disease Sufferers
Birkenhead High School – Fatberg – Fuel or Foe?
Pensby High School – How polarizing is your drink?
Gateacre High School – Naturally Infused
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC – Plastic Filtration Pipe
Little Sandbox – Kerbatron 3000
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC – Medi Glue
Millom High School – Sensory Stick for the Visually Impaired
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC – Oliver
Good luck in the National Finals!
Congratulations to all of our competition entrants, the standard was unbelievably high this year. You are all winners!
The Big Bang North West 2018: 7000 school children celebrate STEM!
Metro Mayor Opens Big Bang Competition Awards Ceremony – Winners Announced!
Big Bang North West & AstraZeneca celebrate 5 years of STEM inspiration for schools!
The Big Bang North West 2018: Your AMAZING Feedback!
The Big Bang North West 2018: Official Gallery
The Big Bang North West 2018: LIVE Twitter Gallery
The Big Bang North West 2018: Big Bang UK Competition Projects
The Big Bang North West 2018: Behind the Scenes
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Photography Gareth Jones
Images © Big Bang North West
