Bristol Brunel students dive into Ocean Health Challenge

Bristol Brunel Academy has been awarded funding to take part in the Ocean Health Challenge, a fully funded, full-day STEM experience developed by University College London (UCL) and delivered by STEMunity educators.

The Ocean Health Challenge was created by UCL academics Dr Fiona Truscott, Dr Helen Czerski, and Dr Zoe Laughlin, bringing together expertise in engineering, ocean science, and materials research to inspire young people to tackle real-world environmental challenges.

All Year 7 students were taken off timetable for the day to take part in the immersive experience. During the sessions, students explored the urgent issue of ocean plastic pollution and were challenged to design innovative eco-friendly solutions to prevent plastic from entering the oceans.

Students worked collaboratively to develop their ideas and created cardboard models to demonstrate their proposed solutions. All entries have now been submitted to a national competition, where the winning student will receive £500 and the winning school will be awarded £2,000. The school will find out the results in March.

Throughout the day, students were highly engaged and enthusiastic, buzzing at the opportunity to compete nationally and enjoying the hands-on design and build process.

Danielle Bush, Deputy Curriculum Leader for Design and Technology, said:
“The Ocean Health Challenge was a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply their creativity and problem-solving skills to a real-world issue.

“They were completely engaged throughout the day and produced some thoughtful, innovative ideas.

“Experiences like these really help students see how design, engineering and science can make a positive impact on the world around them.”