Dogger Bank Wind Farm and South Tyneside Council STEM programme nominated for two awards in the Engineer’s 2023 Collaborate to Innovate Awards
Powering the Future: South Tyneside and Beyond!, a programme by South Tyneside Council and Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has been nominated for two prestigious awards in the Engineer’s 2023 Collaborate to Innovate Awards.
The programme aims to inspire and engage year 4 and 5 students, aged between 8 to 10, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects while also preparing them for the career opportunities provided by the renewable energy sector. In the programme, Year 4 and 5 students from South Tyneside and beyond have been challenged to create a renewable energy invention using movement and wind.
The programme has been nominated for the Young Innovator award, following an invention idea from Nine-year-old Isaac, from Cleadon, who created ‘Wind Mirrors’, a creation which uses propellors attached to vehicle wing mirrors to generate renewable electricity. The programme has also been nominated in the category for best STEM Initiative.
“We are thrilled to be nominated for two Collaborate to Innovate Awards,” said Tom Nightingale, Stakeholder Manager at Dogger Bank Wind Farm. “Through this programme, we have been able to showcase careers and opportunities in the renewable energy sector to the next generation. We are proud of the innovative ideas submitted in the programme, and are amazed to see creative ideas from local young people address real world energy problems.”
Councillor Jane Carter, Lead Member for Education and Skills, said: “It’s never too early to raise the awareness of the skills needed for the jobs of the future.
“This innovative project also helped us to engage and nurture the creative talents of our young people while also raising their aspirations about the careers they can go on to enjoy in the renewable energy sector.”
The Engineer’s Collaborate to Innovate Awards aim to celebrate the best in collaborative innovation across various sectors. The awards commend projects that demonstrate collaboration between different organizations, academic institutions, and industry leaders. The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony held on Thursday 29th February 2024 in London.
For more information about the South Powering the Future initiative, visit https://southtyneside.littleinventors.org/
Image caption: Wind Mirrors, by Isaac from Cleadon, North East England