A PATH to the future is being paved for Limestone Coast students, with three schools preparing for the inaugural Sustainable Engineering Challenge.
Tenison Woods College, St Anthony’s Catholic Primary and Mary MacKillop Memorial schools’ Year 6/7 students will sharpen their technology skills and work together to construct a gearbox and wind turbine as part of the challenge, which celebrates Catholic Schools Open Week.
Following the partnership formed between Tenison and energy companies Vestas and Infigen in 2018, the college hopes the opportunity will continue to engage diverse, critical thinking and provide authentic learning for students.
Teams of four will test their designs and compete for prizes provided by Vestas and Infigen, including an expenses paid trip to Melbourne to visit head offices and various Victorian sites.
College science and mathematics coordinator Jason de Nys said the event was a fantastic opportunity for regional catholic schools students.
“Students will have achance to demonstrate their problem solving skills and to learn more about sustainable engineering from professionals in the field,” Mr de Nys said.
“We are really looking forward to seeing the different approaches the students take in finding the best solutions.”
Students will be judged by Vestas service technicians and representatives.
Each team will be judged on their design process, gear ratios, collaborative efforts, engineering journal, gear speed and more.
Lake Bonney Wind Farm Vestas service technician John Hutchison is one of the judges on the day and will host information sessions relating to his occupation and technical aspects of a wind turbine.
Mr Hutchison said he looked forward to witnessing the innovative ways students calculate gear ratios, as well as their hands-on learning.
“I hope to share an insight to my own day-to-day tasks, inspiring these students to consider a career in a sustainable job of the future,” he said.
The challenge will be held at Tenison Woods College on Monday.
