ICE South West at Big Bang South West
ICE South West regional support staff Jo Mallard, Charlotte Snooks and Colin Greenwell represented ICE at last week's Big Bang South West Science Fair in Exeter.
The team engaged with 428 students throughout the day, educating them about what civil engineers do and giving out Olympic Park maps (created by ICE and Ordnance Survey), ICE logo bugs and 'Engineering your Future' flyers.
There was also a tallest tower competition running on the ICE stand throughout the day. Using a set of wooden blocks, teams of up to four students at a time were challenged to build the tallest tower they could, using any design they liked. The winning team was from Richard Lander School in Truro, whose completed tower stood at an impressive 124cm tall.
Colin Greenwell offered a wealth of advice to students regarding their towers, including the need for a sturdy foundation and a clear idea of the dimensions of the blocks. He showcased various tower designs for passing students, and created a tower of 125cm (but is of course not eligible for the tallest tower title!).
Overall, the day was extremely worthwhile and we hope to have educated a high number of youngsters on the vital importance and exciting world of civil engineering.