Success in Science for SHS Team

Pictured above, 'The Stamfordians' displaying their app to the Principal, Mr Will Phelan. 

A team of five girls from Stamford High School have won two virtual science-based competitions, coordinated by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British International Education Association (BIEA).The School's team, 'The Stamfordians', is made up of Sophie Farr, Anna Barsham, Olga Kryl, Ruby Sumner and Millie Hindmarch, all Year 9 students. They had been due to present their plans for an app to support the visually impaired at the Big Bang Fair this year, to a panel of industry experts and celebrity judges (read more), however upon the fair's cancellation, the girls took to their next competitive challenges.

'#Engineers in the Making' Competition

In May, the team won the national '#Engineers in the Making' competition, held virtually by the Royal Academy of Engineering, for their concept of an App designed to assist those affected by seizures.Take a look at the video below to learn more about their idea:

Huge congratulations to the winners of our #EngineersInTheMaking competition 'The Stamfordians'.

They are developing an app to support people who epilepsy and who experience seizures by monitoring brain activity.Great example of problem finding, problem solving and teamwork! pic.twitter.com/AkTL6IKLk4— RAEngEducation (@EduRAEng) May 22, 2020

Considering entering the competition, Sophie Farr said: "We were inspired to enter the Royal Academy of Engineering competition because of how passionate we are about health technology. As we move forward as a society, we are beginning to experience more chronic health issues that require innovative technological solutions."Our app design was based on using electroencephalogram readings (monitoring of electrical signals in the brain) to detect epileptic seizures. When a seizure is detected, it would inform emergency contacts and get the individual the help they require."We loved designing our app, SeizureSensor, as it encouraged us to look into the world of digital science and app design and the competition also required us to practise our communication skills by making a concise and informative video to explain our project."

'Save Our Shores' Competition 

The BIEA 'Save Our Shores' competition required over 100 finalists, from 30 countries, to design and amphibious vehicle that could travel on land, mud and in the sea to help solve the plastic pollution problem. The Stamfordians' design, made from aluminium, won in the age category of 12-14 years.Please click on the below slides, created during the design stage, to learn more about their idea:[gallery link="file" columns="4" size="medium" ids="https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-1.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-2.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-3.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-4.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-5.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-6.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-7.jpg|,https://www.stamfordschools.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SOS-Competition-8.jpg|"]Sophie Farr said:  "We decided to do the BIEA competition as it revolved around real world issues that we are passionate about solving. Plastic pollution is one of the major factors of global warming and the death of millions of innocent marine life and it is one of the most pressing issues the younger generation will face in their lifetimes. We loved how the BIEA was centred on designing a vehicle as, although this sounds a narrow brief, it really challenged us to think about engineering and technology."Olga Kryl, added:  "All of us are passionate about this subject, and instantly we brainstormed ideas to develop the perfect design. We had to create an amphibious vehicle that will help people collect plastic littering is seas, mudbanks, and land. After hours of improving and developing our design and mechanics, we came up with a small round vehicle which uses the enzyme PETase to decompose plastic polyethylene terephthalate."Participating in such competitions, provides us the opportunity to test our theoretical speculations in approximation of real-life environment. The BIEA was a great opportunity for advancing our engineering and technological aptitude.