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Public and private schools are invited to participate in the Tasmanian Science and Engineering Challenge, nationally sponsored by the Australian Constructors Association, in July 2010. Heats will be held in Hobart, Launceston and on the North West Coast:
Register your details using the REGISTRATION FORM on the UTAS website or by contacting the SET Faculty Office:
Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology
University of Tasmania
Private Bag 50
HOBART TAS 7001
ph: 03 6226 2125
fax: 03 6226 7809
email: set.enquiries@utas.edu.au
Heats & Super Challenge
The Tasmanian Science and Engineering Challenge heats were held in July in Launceston, Hobart and Burnie, with more than 1000 students participating from 30 schools statewide in 2010.
The Tasmanian Super Challenge was held in August in Hobart. It was a tremendous day of activity and excitement, with students involved in cracking crypto codes, building an “Antarctic Station”, creating a hover frenzy and going on a Mission to Mars. Riverside High School qualified to represent Tasmania in the Grand Challenge, held in Bendigo in October 2009. The Grand Challenge brings together the top 16 schools nationwide and Riverside finished in overall second place.
General Information about the Challenge
The Challenge is a set of fun and competitive activities involving principles of science, engineering and technology. The concept is to immediately engage students in the activity with a minimum of introduction and theory. Students will explore scientific principles for themselves rather than being guided to a predetermined answer.
Participating schools select their representative teams of between 24 and 40 students from Years 9 and 10. A total of eight different activities are set for each day, and each school allocates three to five students to each activity. Points are scored and tallied, and the winning school(s) on that day qualifies for the Super Challenge (state final), and may go on to the Grand Challenge (national final) event. A competitive environment is created as representative school teams are pitted against each other and against the clock in a range of science and engineering tasks, including Escape from the Lost World, Gold Fever, Virtual Maze, Wind and a Prayer, Mission to Mars, Confounding Communications, World Sailing Spectacular, and ElectraCITY (see Challenge Activities for further information).
The Challenge program is highly regarded as a means of raising the awareness of students regarding career opportunities in the sciences and engineering. The Challenge was awarded an Engineering Excellence in 2003 and has been recognised by the International Institute of Physics based in London.
The University of Newcastle produces an Engineering Challenge newsletter “Your Challenge”. If you would like to receive copies, please email: challenge@newcastle.edu.au or visit the University of Newcastle’s Science & Engineering Challenge website for further information.
The Tasmanian Challenge
Entry to the Tasmanian Challenge heats and Super Challenge is free due to the generous financial support from the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Department of Education. Schools that win the Super Challenge will be invited to travel to the National Grand Challenge and will need to assist in funding the cost of the trip for their team.
The Tasmanian Challenge Series are supported by Engineers Australia (Tasmania Division), Rotary International clubs (in Hobart, Launceston and NW Tasmania) in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and Science & Engineering Challenge national sponsor, the Australian Constructors Association.
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