Repsol Sinopec STEM Ambassadors lend their support to program of events

Repsol Sinopec support for STEM Learning continues with Ambassadors from the workforce involved in a number of activities as we head toward to end of the current school term. First up was the FunSTEM Assessment day where groups of Primary 6 and 7 pupils were tasked with studying the renewables energy industry, roles within the sector, and conducting their own research into awareness and usage of carbon neutral energy sources.

Each group had been working together for several weeks, building up to the assessment event where they had two minutes to present their findings, showcase a model they had built, and share their research portfolio. The STEM Ambassadors engaged with each team to judge their overall performance, not only technically, but also considering teamwork, communication and overall understanding of the brief.

Mark Lawrenson, Structural Engineer, Repsol Sinopec who was on the judging panel as part of his role as a STEM Ambassador said:

“The event was a great end to what was clearly a full-on project for classes across several schools.

“What really stood out for me was the passion to change how we all get our energy and continue to move towards more sustainable sources. Wind, wave and solar energy were hot topics, but some groups presented on harnessing energy created by bacteria - and there were even models which actually worked!

“A clearly strong school throughout, Tullos Primary took all three top spots on the day. Each of their groups stood out with their level of commitment from the quality of the presentation, having conducted questionnaires to guide their research and reflecting on working together as a team and how they overcame objectives.

“Overall I would say it was a brilliant project for students of this age to get engaged in, it helps develop a range skills that they can take forward in academia and eventually through to their working life.”

Another Repsol Sinopec STEM Ambassador, Steven Thomson, has been working with Luthermuir Primary School pupils for six months to build and race an electric kit car for the ‘Green Goblin Car’ project.

Steven said:

“We set up a team of eight, assigning positions such as Project Manager, Lead Mechanic and Race Drivers - which the pupils loved. Following some of the principals and techniques used in our own organisation, the car was built, commissioned and brought into operation on time and on budget.

“The car was raced in Alford at the Grampian Transport Museum and it, along with the children, performed fantastically. They won several drag races, and the machine never skipped a beat.

“This was a fabulous project and it’s really rewarding to see youngsters working together on a practical and challenging task, where team work and enthusiasm were key."