Smart students aim to make our world a better place
Creative school pupils gathered at the University of Sheffield last week (9 May 2012) in a bid to think up innovative ways to make our world a better place, as part of a sub-regional final of a national competition.
Solutions for the Planet (S4TP), is a competition which aims to inspire and empower thousands of youngsters to help solve some of the most challenging issues facing communities across the planet with their BIG IDEAS.
More than 30 inventive pupils, from Birley Community College, High Storrs School in Sheffield, and Oakbank School in Keighley, masterminded a host of ideas to improve the environment, education, health, water, energy, transport and cut poverty.
The event, which took place at the University’s Mappin Hall, also gave visitors the chance to browse a fascinating showcase of science, technology, sustainability, engineering and enterprise projects developed by current students.
After much deliberation the judges crowned Not So Different from High Storrs School winners for their integration community project. Their interesting idea was to develop a scheme of community working to bridge the generation gap and bring young people and older people together.
The team will now go head-to-head with 11 teams from across the country in the London finals which will take place at the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday 11 July, 2012.
Sue Armstrong, Recruitment Officer for the University of Sheffield´s Faculty of Engineering, said: "The Solutions for the Planet competition is a fantastic way to encourage young people to think about the problems our planet faces and more importantly, inspire them to come up with well thought out and researched solutions.
“All of the pupils worked extremely hard to present their well researched ideas. Their solutions were very impressive and I am sure the event will be beneficial to their future studies in a variety of areas. To develop this skill at such an early age will really help them to go on and achieve success."
Additional information
Regional finalists:
Alternatives for U – Birley Community College
Safe and Sound – Birley Community College
Domino – High Storrs School
Not So Different – High Storrs School
Present – High Storrs School
This is Me! – Oakbank School
Clean Up Your Act – Oakbank School
The complete list of national finalists is as follows:
One Foot Forward - Kettlethorpe High School, Wakefield
Loo Savers - Hanson Academy, Bradford
Not So Different - High Storrs School, Sheffield
Shout Out! - Oakbank School, Keighley
Scan Cycler – Graham School, Scarborough
Youth for You - Carleton Community High School, Pontefract
Opportunity Community - Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, Bradford
Plasticine Planet - Huntcliff School, Gainsborough
Family First - Park Lane Learning Trust, Halifax
Youth to Business – David Young Community College, Leeds
V.16 – Sirius Academy, Hull
Teen XP – Carr Manor High School, Leeds
S4TP
The Solutions for the Planet (S4TP) mission is to build open innovation partnerships between young people, businesses and communities. These partnerships will create sustainable BIG IDEAS that will benefit our society, economy and environment.
Solutions for the Plant
The University of Sheffield
With nearly 25,000 students from 125 countries, the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading and largest universities. A member of the Russell Group, it has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, 2007). These prestigious awards recognise outstanding contributions by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom’s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield also boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and many of its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence around the world.
The University’s research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.
The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.
Contact
For further information please contact:
Amy Pullan
Media Relations Officer
The University of Sheffield
0114 222 9859
a.l.pullan@sheffield.ac.uk