Out-Of-This-World Space Competition Opens Doors for Bradford Students at STEMFest
Out-Of-This-World Space Competition Opens Doors for Bradford Students at STEMFest
An out-of-this-world space competition at the recent STEMFest Yorkshire event left students across Bradford buzzing with excitement and inspiration.
Inspired by NASA’s Artemis mission, which is set to send the first woman and the first person of colour to the moon, this competition set students rocketing into creativity and innovation, expanding their horizons and redefining what they believed was possible within the space sector.
Each school was paired with a dedicated Space Inspirations STEM Ambassador to support their assigned school throughout the competition, from initial ideas and decisions right through to their final presentations. TV presenter and big supporter of STEMFest, Dallas Campbell, was also on hand to help the children with their presenting techniques, setting them up for the final day.
Over 370 Year 5 and 6 students channelled their creativity and curiosity into developing a series of remarkable space project displays, all designed to impress the panel of judges. The students worked together to plan, research and pull together their project boards– some including 3D sculptures of black holes and planets, others displaying different parts of the solar system alongside mini astronauts, each one an explosion of colour, creativity and innovation.
Presentation day came, and it was time for the students to launch themselves into showcasing their hard work, to the panel of judges. The panel consisted of Jim Christensen from the Aldrin Family Foundation, Mandy Ridyard of Produmax, and TV Presenter (& presenting coach for the students) Dallas Campbell.
The competition was fierce, with each of the projects standing out in their own extraordinary way, but judges began their assessments of the projects, ready to choose their winners. Given the chance to vote a project for ‘Pupils Choice Award’, the children also set to work on picking their favourite projects.
The first prize went to The Greetland Academy, who’s out-of-this-world project took first place.
Coming in at second place was Lapage Primary School, with Trinity Academy St Chads landing in third. Pupils Choice Award was awarded to Byron Primary School, who’s project won the hearts of their peers.
The feedback from students, ambassadors and teachers alike was stellar, with one STEM Ambassador commenting, “I had a fun time working with my nominated school. Both classes were engaged and had some fantastic ideas. They had fun creating their project and hopefully are now more inspired to consider STEM in their career paths.”
The teachers were just as thrilled with the experience, with one sharing, “The whole of the STEM team, to the volunteers and staff on the day have made this a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all. Pupils have LOVED! STEM and working with our STEM Ambassador and we hope this will continue.”
But it wasn’t just about having fun (although there was plenty of that!). The competition aimed to open the students’ eyes to the endless variety of career opportunities within the space sector, highlighting companies right on their doorstep in the heart of Yorkshire and Humber.
Through this experience, 372 children had a blast, and discovered that space is not actually as far away as it seems – and it could very well be a part of their future.