The Energy Car Challenge
Design and build your cars, test them in practice sessions, then compete to beat the competition - turn science to GLORY!
The Neon quality mark shows this activity has been reviewed and meets Neon's quality standards.
Overview
It's hands-on, it's fun!
It does require lots of K'nex resources (which will be provided for the duration of the event).
The session has been delivered many times for many years, and schools/colleges typically pay a fee for the managed delivery of the session unless other funding arrangements are in place.
Age groups year 5 upwards, sessions can be run with any age/abilities.
It can be adapted and extended easily to include lots of industrial careers and project management.
Capacity
Minimum of 10 participants, maximum of 60 participants.
Cost
Typically £200 to £300 ex. VAT for a day-long session, subject to additional mileage/travel/subsistence costs.
Duration
Ideally, a day-long event but can be adapted to suit student numbers and age/ability groups.
Typically this session is done as a competition, and can take place as a number of sessions to build up the skills of the teams gradually, fostering the concept of continuous improvement - just like the real world of motorsport, engineering & industrial design, and projects/manufacturing.
Details
- School subject
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- Design and technology
- Engineering
- Maths
- Physics
- Curriculum links
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- Design and technology
- Biology: Material cycles and energy
- Physics: Energy
- Engineering
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics
- Sciences - Planet earth: Energy sources and sustainability
- Sciences - Planet earth
- Technologies - Craft, design, engineering and graphics: Application of engineering
- Design thinking and engineering
- Physics: Energy transfer
- Design thinking and engineering: Engineering
- Technology & design - Design
- Sciences - Earth and universe: The environment and human influences
- Sciences - Forces and energy
- Technology & design - Manufacturing
- Technology & design - Control
- Group size
- Small groups, Whole class, Whole year group
- Participation level
- Hands-on
- Duration
- Whole day
1 day, flexible
- Cost
- Cost applies
- Location
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In-school
- North East
- North West
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- Dumfries & Galloway
- East Ayrshire
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh City
- Midlothian
- Scottish Borders
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Lothian
Learning outcomes
- Improve engagement, interest or enjoyment in STEM subjects
- Attainment and progress
- Learning what the engineering workplace is like
- Develop engineering employability skills
- Improve awareness and aspirations for STEM-related study and careers
- Challenge stereotypes by showing the diversity of disciplines, people and skills involved in engineering
Frameworks
Gatsby benchmarks
The Gatsby benchmarks are a framework for good careers guidance for schools across all of England and in some areas across the rest of the UK. This experience helps your school to reach the following benchmarks:
- 4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers
- 5 - Encounters with employers and employees
- 6 - Experiences of workplaces
- 7 - Encounters with further and higher education
EqualEx
- Introduce and Inspire
Essential skills
The essential skills every young person needs to succeed in education and their future career. Find out more at the Skills Builder Partnership. This experience builds the following skills:
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Enrichment framework
- 5 - An accessible and engagement enrichment offer
- 6 - An enrichment offer that works in partnership
