Four Sixth Form students from Burgess Hill School for Girls have built a prototype for an East Sussex manufacturer as part of a three day Engineering Scheme.
Helena Dodd, Avalon Ridler, Lauren Hayes and Ellie Armitage were selected to take part in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES), which took place as part of a three day residential trip to Brighton University.
The scheme is run by the South East region of EDT, the largest provider of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities for young people. The six month scheme involves learning some engineering skills and working towards taking a real problem from a local company and finding a solution.
The Burgess Hill students worked with Photek, based in St Leonards on Sea in East Sussex. Photek are specialist manufacturers of camera systems and work to develop photon detectors. The girls were asked to create a light-tight box for testing the life of photo-electron detectors which are used for a variety of purposes, including night-vision cameras.
As part of the process the girls developed a prototype for Photek. They will soon visit the company again to complete the prototype and will be required to give a formal presentation and written technical report to a panel of professional engineers and other STEM students.
On completing the programme the girls will receive an EES National Certificate and a Duke of Edinburgh Skills Certificate. They are now working towards a British Science Association Gold CREST Award. Each year between 1,300 and 1,400 students participate in the EES, but only 30 per cent of them are young women.
Helen Dodd, 16, described the scheme as “an engineering opportunity of a lifetime” and said “We are very proud, as not only have we taken part in something very special, but we are also working towards a Gold Crest Award!”
For more information about the Engineering Education Scheme visit www.etrust.org.uk/eese.cfm