Students drive their way to success
Building racing cars under an innovative global education initiative is helping Australian school students' personal development and employability.
The F1 in Schools, Formula One Technology Challenge, is run in Australia by not-for-profit body Re-Engineering Australia (REA), with support in Queensland from the Queensland Government and industry partners.
Teams of three to five students from grades 5 to 12 use industry standard, 3D printing, CAD/CAM and simulation technologies to design, analyse, test, manufacture and race miniature CO2-powered, balsawood Formula 1 cars.
Students participate at three levels. The development level is for first-time challenge participants; junior professional level is for students in grades 5 to 9; and senior professional level is for students in year 10 and above.
Teachers involved say students who were once shy and insecure are graduating full of confidence, ready to tackle the future.
Technology teacher Corey Gieskens, from Pine Rivers State High School, at Strathpine, north of Brisbane, said he now had a class of students who were completely engaged at school.
"So many teenagers, boys in particular, aren't stimulated by anything taught in the classroom. They are irritable, bored and unsatisfied. But the F1 challenge gives them something to invest their brains into."
Industrial technology teacher Derek Van Kerckhof, from Mirani State High School, 40km west of Mackay, said he had the privilege of watching F1 team members grow and mature into confident young adults during their involvement in the challenge.
"I've seen them completely change. Their language, abilities, confidence, character, potential ... they are all young adults now."
The award winning Mirani State School car and team
Mirani SHS and Pine Rivers SHS are Manufacturing and Engineering Gateway Schools, an initiative that connects Queensland secondary schools with manufacturing and engineering enterprises, registered training organisations and tertiary institutions.
They are also hub schools, supporting four to five other schools in their regions. They house industry-standard equipment and racetracks the neighbouring schools can access.
Manufacturing and Engineering Gateway Schools Project Manager Leanne Hixon provides support for REA's implementation of the challenge. She said interest in the challenge was growing annually. In 2010, 82 Queensland schools participated, 22 of which were hub schools.
The challenge is multi-faceted and multidisciplinary, involving much more than just designing and manufacturing the cars.
"The challenge incorporates many elements, including public speaking, portfolio development, presenting engineering aspects during judging, creating a brand and marketing the team's car, and organising sponsors," Leanne said.
Derek and Corey have seen firsthand that the challenge is about more than just building cars. "It's about engaging students in engineering and manufacturing. We want them to work in the industry or at least become aware of options available to them," Derek said.
Corey said the challenge gave students incredible opportunities. "You have 12-year-olds being given opportunities university-based degrees don't offer.
"The workforce is seeking people who have knowledge of how things work, not just in theory but in practice. This program gives them that experience."
Derek said the challenge taught students to stretch their minds. For example, they had to overcome friction and weight limitations to speed up their cars.
Corey said the cars would not be completed without support, donations, equipment, advice and expertise from industry partners.
"With industry partnerships and government funding, students have access to so much. For example, we have thousands of dollars worth of virtual wind-tunnelling equipment; a 3D drawing package site licence valued at about $1.5 million; and a 25m replica racetrack."
Corey said industry partners' trade-off for the time and money they invested in the challenge was the exceptional skill level of future employees.
"High school is the critical time where industry needs to target the future workforce. Students start to make important decisions about their future. Leaving industry engagement until university is leaving it too late."
Part of Pine Rivers State High School "Super Geeks" racing team and testing in progress
Students are responsible for finding industry sponsors throughout the challenge. "We teach them basic skills in communication, but it is up to them to contact industry partners to collaborate," Derek said.
Once the cars are manufactured and tested, teams meet at regional, state, national and international levels to race the vehicles. High schools from 33 countries participate and each country's best team competes at an international event for the F1 in Schools World Championship title.
In October 2010, 18 schools competed at the Queensland finals in Rockhampton and four teams, including those from Mirani SHS and Pine Rivers SHS, progressed to the national finals.
At the March 2011 national championships at Eastern Creek Raceway, New South Wales, Mirani SHS's senior professional level team, Ace Pace, came second overall and Pine Rivers SHS development level team, Super Geeks, won awards for best industry collaboration and best marketing. A highlight for all participating teams was a chance to be driven around the track in an Australian rally car by four times national champion Neal Bates.
The 2011 International Championship is in Malaysia. In 2010, a Pine Rivers SHS team, Zero.9, competed at the International Championship in Singapore. The team placed second - a great result for 13 and 14-year-old students.
The teachers said the F1 in Schools challenge required time and effort from students, teachers and industry partners. But seeing students' transformations and their excitement about the potential for careers in the manufacturing and engineering industries made it a very worthwhile project.
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