South East Technological University (SETU) hosted the annual South East Engineering Festival running from 2 to 8 March, 2024. A key event of the festival is the KNEX Challenge for primary school students that took place at the universitys campus in Carlow.
Participating students had the chance to design and build an engineering model of a real-life invention. The only stipulation is that it must be something that people use in everyday life. The competition aspires to bring back the awe of discovery and the fun of creativity to engineering by encouraging children to think of new concepts and interesting innovations. The K’NEX Challenge provides students with hands-on learning opportunities that encourage scientific inquiry, investigation, creativity, and experimentation; with students being active participants in the learning process.
Shane Murray, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director at the Department of Built Environment at SETU in Carlow said, “The idea of the South East Engineering Festival is that people in the south east of Ireland can learn what engineers do. There are many great jobs in engineering in the region and you can learn to be an engineer at SETU. We are particularly keen to challenge the gender stereotypes about what boys and girls should and shouldn’t be interested in.”
Making our everyday lives easier
Joe Dillane, Senior Lecturer and programme Director at the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at SETU in Carlow sums up the work of engineers: “We design complicated things that make our everyday lives easy. Engineers then lead teams to build and make these things. The sort of things that engineers design are buildings, bridges, roads, water supplies, electricity supplies, mobile phones, computers and much more. Engineers are also working to find solutions to many of the world’s big challenges such as climate change and energy, water, and food supply."
South East Engineering Festival is an exciting introduction to the world of engineering. It is coordinated by Calmast STEM Engagement Centre; SETU, with colleagues from the School of Engineering at SETU in Waterford and the Faculty of Engineering at SETU in Carlow; Engineers Ireland South East Region, and Engineering the South East industry cluster.
For more information, visit www.engfest.ie
Local primary school kids visit SETU's campus in Carlow for the South East Engineering Festival 2024 and take part in the K'Nex Challenge. Participating students had the chance to design and build an engineering model of a real-life invention. The only stipulation is that it must be something that people use in everyday life. The competition aspires to bring back the awe of discovery and the fun of creativity to engineering by encouraging children to think of new concepts and interesting innovations. The K’NEX Challenge provides students with hands-on learning opportunities that encourage scientific inquiry, investigation, creativity, and experimentation; with students being active participants in the learning process.