The first few months of 2024 have been very active for the Next Engineers programme. Not only did we kick off with the Engineering Academy, we also brought on board learners of Cohort 3 of Engineering Academy participants. The interesting fact about Cohort 3 is that at least 60% of the learners participated in the 2023 Engineering Camp, with 3 having gone through the Engineering Discovery sessions back in 2022. For us, this shows the interest we have generated in the programme and how some of the learners we have interacted and engaged with, have chosen to pursue their interest in engineering through the Next Engineers programme.
In February, Cohorts 1 and 2 started their year in the Academy and have been continuing since then. Cohort 1, our Grade 12s, worked on their open design challenge, where they choose which real-life problem they would like to tackle, and how they would tackle it. They had to apply all the skills and techniques they have learnt in the programme thus far to do this. The group did not disappoint with their projects, and designs ranged from: “Jaws of Life” (a portable mechanism used to rescue people involved in car accidents), “Well, Well, Well” (a low-cost, simple but effective water well), “Optiwave” (an oscillating water column used to optimize energy and pressure given off by waves to generate electricity), and “Plastic to Pothole” (a combination of stone aggregate and plastic waste used to fill up potholes), among others. The amount of research and work the learners put into their final products is amazing, considering the amount of time they had to complete the challenge. Only 6 sessions, each 5.5 hours long, were available for our learners. We are now waiting to see these young innovators graduate and step into the world, where they can bring their dreams into reality.
Cohort 2 have also completed their Clean Streams project where they had to design a water purification system and have it working to the optimal level. Having learnt a lot, and performing beyond expectations in their first year of the Academy, expectations for their products were really high. Again, the team was well pleased with the results of the learners’ projects. This was their first of two Design Challenges for 2024, and after results they produced with these projects, they are bound to impress us even more with their second and final Design Challenge for the year.
Our latest addition to the family, Cohort 3, were not left behind as they started with their very first project, Spring Loaded. They were excited to start this journey, and many have expressed their enjoyment of the programme from the experience they had during the Camp and have shared their excitement for the Academy. The learners’ parents were invited to the presentations and were amazed with what the learners were able to produce after just four Design Challenge sessions.
Right now, we are preparing to have Cohorts 1 and 2 during the June holidays and, what is probably the most exciting event of the year, the Cohort 1 graduation ceremony!
