Mid Sussex STEM Challenge photos and video: students take part in thrilling race at South of England Showground in Ardingly

Pupils from across the district gathered at the Ardingly venue on Friday, May 19, for the Mid Sussex STEM Challenge 2022.

The task was to research, develop and build a remote-controlled vehicle to navigate an obstacle course. Students also had to fulfil a brief with specifications like artificial intelligence, camera attachment and a motorised chassis.

Peter Karmios, owner of Bike Smart in Haywards Heath and one of the organisers, said: “It’s been a very good challenge. They were all given identical kits, which were complete deconstructions of a working vehicle. The suspension, the gearbox, the engines – exactly the same as a conventional vehicle.”

He praised the ingenuity of the students, saying: “It was an engineering challenge to learn how to assemble these vehicles and once they’d assembled them they were given a budget to improve the performance so they could change the batteries, change the suspension, or improve the motors.”

The race started after the students made presentations about their vehicles and the various problems they had to solve.

General manager of Flowserve Nick Green called the race ‘fantastically competitive’ and praised the teamwork on display.

Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies said: “I’ve been so inspired by meeting the young people. It’s been such a pleasure to see a tiny bit of this.”

She said she was particularly happy to see the students working together and to see the female students enjoying the challenge. She added: “It’s been really noticeable just how much the creativeness, the opportunity to put skills into practise and everybody having their role has really helped the students enjoy what’s been a wonderful afternoon. Well done to all the people who put it together and all the students at the schools that have taken part.”

Mims Davies also thanked councillor Ruth de Mierre, Mid Sussex District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parking, for doing ‘a magnificent job’ in organising the event.

Ruth de Mierre said: “It was quite awe inspiring to see the total excitement, determination, knowledge and commitment of our students today. With our local engineering and pharmaceutical companies in such need of STEM skills, it’s so important we show them not only the ‘fun’ of applying their knowledge, but the diverse and exciting future careers ahead of them. I do so thank all the fantastic companies who supported us and provided Ambassadors for each School but our amazing judges who worked so hard. Huge congratulations to our winners and here’s to next year with even more entrants.”

Professor Winfried Hensinger, director of the Sussex Centre for Quantum Technologies, called the race ‘truly outstanding’ and said the level of innovation on display was ‘amazing’. He complimented the project management skills of the students and said he was pleased to see so many girls taking part.

He said: “This is the best way to get students into STEM subjects – it has to start now. I build quantum computers and we need more people here in Britain to engage in STEM. Physics is just starting to do really cool things.”

The judges explained that there were three trophies: an overall winner, an Engineering Award and the Race Challenge Award. These were presented by the Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, Lady Emma Barnard.

Lady Emma Barnard told the students: “You must have put months and months of preparation into this and clearly have enjoyed it.”

She added: “We need bright minds and organisation and team skills. Well done every single one of you whether you came last, first sideways or back to front, it doesn't matter. The point is you're all here and you're all learning.”

The winner of the Race Challenge Award was Oathall Community College, the winner of the Engineering Award was St Paul’s Catholic College and the overall winner was Downlands Community School.

The challenge launched in the Mid Sussex District Council Chamber on Friday, September 30, last year. Students taking part in the challenge were supported by local engineering and medical companies who acted as mentors, working with schools to share their knowledge and show students what it is like to work in the industry. The companies that were involved included Flowserve, PSM Marine Engineering, Adelphi, Nuffield Hospital, Bike Smart, Edwards Vacuum, Quantum Technologies and Balfour Beatty. Each one provided a STEM Ambassador to work with each school and bring them into the workplace to put their STEM learning in context. The students also prepared a Marketing and Business Management Plan with help from Nuffield Health.

Teams from Burgess Hill Academy, Downlands Community School, Imberhorne School, Millais School, Oathall Community College, St Paul’s Catholic College, Sackville School and Warden Park Academy took part.