Category: Schools

Flying Start Challenge takes off in School of Engineering!

Author joshuawarren | Posted on

The School of Engineering recently hosted the annual Flying Start competition in partnership with several aerospace companies in the West including Airbus and Atkins Realis.

The Inspire Sustainability outreach team helped organise the event which saw around 100 Key Stage 3 pupils from many different schools in the region compete to design, build and fly a glider.  The competition also included other engineering challenges such as poster presentations, straw tower building, wind turbine designs, and balloon car racing.  Thanks also goes to Andy Hill in the Digital Gallery, providing flight and driving sims for the young engineers to have a go on throughout the day.

All of which took place in the School of Engineering in what proved to be an exciting and brilliant day of innovation and inspiration.  The young engineers certainly left the day with raised ambitions and a stronger view of what studying engineering at UWE could look like for them.

The competition was very close, with the team from Clifton High School taking home the top prize!

James Candy from Atkins Realis, thanked the Inspire Sustainability team and the School of Engineering. “It turned out to be a great event. We massively appreciate the effort and enthusiasm you brought to the day, and your support made a real difference.”

To find out more about the Flying Start Challenge, visit https://flyingstartchallenge.com/

To find out more about the Inspire Sustainability outreach team at the School of Engineering, contact the team at engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk or check out the other blog posts about the team’s outreach at Engineering Our Future blog | Engineering Our Future

Get training to inspire schools in green jobs

Author louisacockbill | Posted on

Are you passionate about green jobs? Want to inspire children into the green sector & empower teachers in their eco-teaching? This could be the training for you.

When: Tuesday 25th November, 4 – 6pm

Where: 4Z002, School of Engineering, UWE Bristol, Frenchay campus

Get tickets here

The Inspire Sustainability team based in the School of Engineering, are partnering with Graphic Science, the STEM Ambassador Delivery Partner for South West England – to deliver the training.

This training session is for people passionate about green jobs in the South West of England who want to connect with schools to inspire the next generation into the green sector – both through sharing career stories with children directly, and through empowering teachers to use examples of green careers in their teaching.

Expect to be equipped with the resources, lesson plans, and insight into how to deliver engaging green job workshops in schools. The workshops are based on the “Inspiring Green Futures” top-trump style cards that feature 48 local people in green jobs.

Breif agenda:

  • learn a little bit about the background to why this resource was created, includingthe just transition and inclusive recruitment issues it seeks to address.
  • focused practical training – equipping you with what you need to go into schools and talk to children and teachers about green careers
  • end with opportunities to sign up to workshop days in schools, and to get involved in UWE led teacher CPD sessions, where you can connect with teachers and influence their lesson plans.
TicketS! Getting green job information into schools Tickets, Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 4:00 PM | Eventbrite

UWE Engineering at Cheltenham Science Festival

Author joshuawarren | Posted on

This year’s Cheltenham Science Festival was again attended by UWE’s Inspire Sustainability team, providing an exciting STEM activity for the thousands of school children that came along. The team had an activity stand in the festival’s ‘Discover Zone’, along with other festival partners bringing STEM to life.

The team brought their popular ‘Power our Future’ activity, which invites children to become engineers to design and build the best wind turbine blades, generating the most clean energy! The teams must consider the shape, size, angle, and material of their blade design, as well as choosing how many to build! Then test their designs on the real wind turbine, and generate as much energy as possible.

The activity is designed to encourage children to think like an engineer and follow the ‘engineering design process’, whilst also bringing together some key learning around sustainability and how we as a society need to move faster towards renewable energy sources like wind.

The week was a great success with thousands of children making their way through the festival’s ‘Discover Zone’ over six very busy days. The UWE stand saw a lot of interest and every team had their team name and score placed on the leaderboard! We particularly loved the creativity with team names, and congratulations to team ‘Pancake Grandpa’ that ended up winning the week with a score of over 11 volts!

The team and the stand at Cheltenham was also supported by the IMechE, you can find more information about them here.

You can also find information about the workshops and outreach that the Inspire Sustainability team provide by visiting the curiosityconnections.net site, or by emailing the team on engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk.

Stitching confidence and sustainability: MAKERS Project supports young creatives at Fairfield Highschool

Author katcorbett | Posted on

This spring, the UWE Bristol MAKERS project proudly partnered with Fairfield Highschool, Sustainable Fashion Week’s Future Citizens Project, and the Old Library Community Hub in Eastville to deliver a series of hands-on sewing workshops that brought together sustainability, creativity, and personal growth.

Over the course of six weeks, a group of nine enthusiastic students aged 11 tto 15 took part in a practical learning journey exploring textile arts through a sustainability lens. Guided by expert facilitators and supported by MAKERS, the workshop provided a safe and inspiring space to experiment, create, and grow in confidence.

MAKING with Purpose

For the MAKERS project, which supports hands-on community learning through craft, repair and design, this collaboration was a perfect match. The students’ projects — from tote bags and pencil cases to scrunchies and hairbands — were more than creative exercises. They were learning tools. Each item represented hours of skill-building: from threading sewing machines and cutting fabric accurately to reading patterns and exploring the potential of reclaimed materials.

By working with salvaged textiles and repurposing what would otherwise be waste, the young participants also learned about the environmental impacts of fast fashion and the role they can play in shaping a more sustainable future — values that sit at the heart of MAKERS’ ethos.

Guided by a Skilled Team

The workshops were co-delivered by a dedicated and passionate team:

  • Ruth Squires, Senior Technical Instructor in the fashion sewing rooms at UWE Bristol
  • Ayat Said, Director of Science & Computing at Fairfield High School
  • Beth Cooper, Old Library Repair Café
  • Kat Corbett, Coordinator of the UWE MAKERS Project

Together, they supported the students not just to learn practical techniques, but to explore self-expression, resilience, and creativity.

“It was amazing to see how much the students grew over the six weeks,” said Ayat Said. “Not just in what they could make, but in how they saw themselves. You could really see their confidence building week by week. It was far beyond sewing — more about believing in what they could do.”

Celebrating the Journey

The series culminated in a celebration at the Old Library, where proud parents and carers were invited to view a mini exhibition of the students’ handmade creations. The event offered a moment to reflect on how far the group had come — from nervous beginners to capable makers with a genuine sense of ownership over their work.

Certificates were awarded in recognition of each student’s hard work and progress, marking not just the end of the workshop, but the beginning of a new confidence in their own creative abilities.

MAKERS Looking Forward

For the MAKERS project, this collaboration with Fairfield High School was a testament to the power of community-based, practical learning. It’s not just about making things — it’s about making change, making skills accessible, and making people feel they belong.

We’re grateful to all the students, facilitators and supporters who made this workshop such a success — and we look forward to sewing more seeds of creativity, confidence, and sustainability across Bristol and beyond.

Green Futures workshops reaches over 2000 young people in first 3 months

Author louisacockbill | Posted on

Engineering’s Inspire Sustainability team are leading on a new exciting project to inspire local children into green jobs (thanks to funders the West of England Combined Authority). Last year they recruited 48 local people in green jobs to feature on a top-trump card pack and hot off the printing press in February – the cards went straight into schools and communities!

Visiting 25 mainstream schools, five special educational needs groups and two community events since the launch- the team are are acting on UWE’s duty as a civic university to benefit the local community – raising aspirations for all young people and creating the workforce of the future to deliver Net Zero aims.

Inspiring

The Green Futures sessions have enabled young people in primary and secondary schools to discover what a green job is and how it’s relevant to their lives. They’ve explored the huge diversity in jobs (& people!) featured in the card pack, alongside hands-on activities.

The funding includes a focus on young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and in alternative learning provision (ALP) – so the team have adapted their sessions to engage these groups.

The SEND summits began in April, bringing groups into UWE’s own Prototype & Play lab. In May, that’s continuing, with groups also going into We The Curious and ss Great Britain – learning about green jobs in inspirational settings.

“Really interesting and engaging. Loved the career cards and how they showed a range of skills.”

Parent from a SEND summit

Volunteer ambassadors in green jobs are involved as well – as it’s always an inspiration to meet someone in person and for students to ask questions!

“The children loved meeting people from the cards – it really brought the session to life.” 

Teacher from St Werburgh’s Primary

If your child’s school would like to book in a session please email: engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk (we’re taking bookings from September as we’re fully booked until the summer!)

Connecting

At the end of March, the card pack launch was celebrated with the people featured on the cards, along with local business representatives, teachers and members of the local careers hub. As well as celebrating and connecting the amazing people who’d featured on the cards, the event also marked Retrofit Action Week with three speakers outlining how their roles contribute to making buildings Net Zero.

Find out more about the celebratory launch or explore the real people in amazing green jobs – their profiles feature here and include lots of interesting facts (including earnings ££), career routes and inspirational quotes. Look for UWE representatives – Glenn Lyons, Laura Fogg-Rogers and Roger Griffith.


We’re not just connecting with schools and businesses – we’re also going into communities. We’re joining in with local events and leading our own events in community centres – like St Paul’s Green & Healthy Careers Fair on 19th May – read more and get a ticket to come along.

Want to find out more?

More information about the Inspire Green Futures workshops can be found on the website.

The project is led by Laura Fogg-Rogers and Louisa Cockbill at UWE. Who worked alongside – My Future My Choice, the Natural History Consortium and Graphic Science, the STEM ambassador delivery partner for the SouthWest – to recruit people for the cards and now to deliver to thousands across the region.

Inspire Sustainability team engage children and families about saving on energy bills in partnership with Asian Energy Studies Centre

Author joshuawarren | Posted on

UWE’s Inspire Sustainability team recently partnered with a team from the Asian Energy Studies Centre at Hong Kong Baptist University to conduct some engaging workshops for students at Evergreen Primary Academy in Easton.

The workshop focused on important themes such as energy consumption, energy saving, and renewable energy, and explored with the students the various ways energy is consumed in their daily lives. They gained insights into different energy sources and the importance of saving energy. One of the most exciting parts of the workshop was the hands-on activity: “Power our Future”

Students were tasked with designing and constructing their own wind turbines, focusing on creating efficient blades to maximize electricity production. This activity not only encouraged creativity but also prompted students to think critically about design improvements to enhance efficiency. Students experimented with different blade shapes and shared their findings with one another.

The project also has been recruiting households in the community to signup to a study, providing them with incentives and practical advice to reduce their own energy bills. The team had worked with Evergreen Primary Academy to reach the families of the students involved in the workshop and offer the opportunity.

The workshop is also available to be booked for local schools through the Inspire Sustainability team. If you know of a school or teacher that may be interested in accessing free STEM workshops for their class, then please do contact the team.

You can email the team at engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk or you can check out and download the workshop materials on our Curiosity Connections website here. There are also a whole host of other free STEM workshops to choose from for a variety of age groups.

Are you an engineer? Inspire the next generation of engineers by signing up to be part of the Leaders Award competition

Author joshuawarren | Posted on

The Leaders Award ‘If You Were An Engineer…’ competition regional awards will again be hosted this year at UWE’s School of Engineering Building, and you can become a part. The competition asks school children from across the country to imagine and design creative solutions to problems, as if they were an engineer. The designs are then judged (right here at UWE!) and the winners are invited to the awards ceremony and celebration taking place this summer.

A large part of the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition is having school pupils interviewing real engineers and enabling them to ask the questions that matter to them. These interviews provide an opportunity for engineers to share how they use creative problem solving in their work and inspire the pupils to find their own engineering ideas.  This leads the pupils to then design their own engineering solutions to problems and submit their ideas to the competition.

The Leaders Award team are asking for real engineers to become a part of the process and sign up to be interviewed online by pupils from across the region. Giving you the opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers and also develop communication and outreach skills.

Young people cannot be what they cannot see. Being able to engage with engineering and learn that anyone can grow up to work in the industry can have a profound effect on them. So, if you want to be involved and help inspire the next generation of engineers get in touch today!

As recognition of your involvement, the Leaders Award team will welcome you as a Primary Engineer ‘Engineer Inspirer’, and will support your involvement and provide you with recognition of engagement for your own professional development.

There’s an information flyer you can download below.

Engineer-Leaders-Award-Competition-FlyersDownload

For more information or to register interest, visit the website here, or email either engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk or louisa.parsons@primaryengineer.com

UWE Bristol Secures Funding from the Office for Students to Expand Diversity and Inclusion in Degree Apprenticeships

Author engineering | Posted on

UWE Bristol is excited to share our success in securing Wave 2 apprenticeship funding from the Office for Students (OfS). This funding allows us to build upon the work of our Wave 1 activities around Degree Apprenticeships and our Women Like Me mentoring programme, addressing diversity and inclusion gaps in the workplace across key sectors such as engineering, digital, architecture and the built environment. The Mentoring and Outreach programme is led by Associate Professor Laura Fogg-Rogers from the School of Engineering and coordinated by Sarah Behenna from the Science Communication Unit. Links with industry will be led by Dr Samantha Organ from the School of Architecture and the Built Environment, along with Inclusive HR practices by Dr Amina Hamoud from the School of Engineering and Professor Sue Durbin from the School of Business and Law. The project will be evaluated by the whole team alongside Senior Research Fellow Dr Laura Hobbs.

An added dimension to this phase of the project is expanding to work in partnership with:

  • WISE Campaign (Women into Science and Engineering), whose initiatives focus on encouraging women and girls to pursue careers in STEM through various programs, mentorship opportunities, and advocacy efforts. Partnering with WISE allows us to tap into their expertise and resources to further enhance our efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion, particularly in engineering and digital sectors.
  • Association for Black & Minority Ethnic Engineers, whose initiatives include networking events, mentorship programs, and advocacy for equal opportunities within the engineering profession. Collaborating with this association enables us to address diversity gaps and provide support tailored to BME individuals pursuing careers in engineering and related fields.
  • Babbasa is a social enterprise focused on empowering young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue fulfilling careers and make positive contributions to society. Their programs include mentoring, skills development workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at bridging the gap between education and employment for underrepresented groups. Partnering with Babbasa allows us to reach a wider audience of young people and provide them with the guidance and support needed to access apprenticeship opportunities and thrive in their chosen fields.
  • STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from a wide range of STEM backgrounds who engage with young people to inspire and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM subjects. They participate in activities such as school visits, workshops, and career fairs to showcase the opportunities available in STEM fields and provide guidance and inspiration to students. By collaborating with STEM Ambassadors, we can leverage their expertise and passion for STEM to inspire the next generation of apprentices and ensure a diverse and inclusive pipeline of talent into our apprenticeship programs.
  • STEMazing is a community organization dedicated to promoting STEM education and careers, particularly among underrepresented groups such as women and minorities. Their initiatives include outreach events, educational resources, and mentorship programs aimed at breaking down barriers and empowering individuals to pursue STEM pathways. Partnering with STEMazing allows us to access their network and resources to support our efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion within our apprenticeship programs and beyond.

By partnering with these organizations, we can leverage their expertise, resources, and networks to enhance our apprenticeship programs and foster diversity and inclusion in engineering, construction, digital, and other key sectors.

The OfS’s £12 million investment across 51 English universities and colleges underscores the significance of expanding apprenticeship offerings. David Barrett, UWE Bristol’s Director of Apprenticeships, conveyed his excitement about this opportunity, emphasizing our commitment to advancing diversity within Engineering, Construction, and Digital professions. He noted the transformative impact of apprenticeships in addressing skills shortages and promoting equality of opportunity:

“This second wave of Apprenticeship funding from the Office for Students is a fantastic opportunity for UWE Bristol to work with partners across the region to deepen and widen our work on increasing diversity in our Degree Apprenticeships across Engineering, Construction and Digital professions. Apprenticeships are a direct route into highly skilled professions and so there is huge positive impact, both for equality of opportunity, and in meeting the growing demand for skills from employers, in ensuring that we recruit talent that reflects the diversity of the population. We look forward to working with our Partner FE Colleges, partner organisations and employers on this exciting opportunity”.

The OfS funding will be invested in the following UWE Bristol degree apprenticeship programmes:

Additionally, we will collaborate with regional apprenticeship providers such as Weston College, Bridgwater & Taunton College, Gloucestershire College and the City of Bristol College to further this initiative.

To find out more, please contact Dr Laura Fogg-Rogers, Associate Professor for Engineering in Society, at Laura.Foggrogers@uwe.ac.uk

UWE Engineering go to Cheltenham Science Festival

Author louisacockbill | Posted on

UWE Engineering’s Inspire Sustainability team are out all this week at Cheltenham Science Festival. The festival has a jam-packed programme of events with scientists and thought-leaders, as well as loads of amazing science-y stalls – that’s where we come in!

The Inspire Sustainability stall has been joined by several engineering students as well as some ambassadors from iMechE, all eager to inspire the next generation of engineers. And the team are using some of the equipment from their specialised outreach workshops to give children visiting the fair a hands-on experience of engineering.

Specially designed Bristol worlds in Minecraft and robots galore – I think they look pretty engaged – don’t you?

Young people pairing green innovations and sport with the Inspire Sustainability team at the WECA Schools Summit

Author joshuawarren | Posted on

The West of England Combined Authority recently held their annual School Summit, inviting young people from many secondary schools across the West to make their voices heard on sustainability issues in the area. Information about the summit is here: https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/schoolssummit/

The event welcomed over 100 GCSE students to Ashton Gate Stadium for a day of listening to their thoughts and ideas on what the area can do differently, with the aim of informing future policy and planning.

The Inspire Sustainability team were invited to be part of the summit by providing a workshop on ‘VISION 2040’. In this workshop, the students were asked to imagine attending an event at Ashton Gate in the year 2040, and discussed what sustainable innovations they would like to see. The students began by hearing the current environmental impact a matchday at the stadium has. Did you know that every matchday uses the same power as an average home uses in almost 3 years?

The students were than tasked with a competition to come up with as many innovative and creative sustainability solutions as they could, winning a throw at the rugby training nets with each idea. The session was kindly supported by the Bristol Bears and they provided balls and nets for the students to practice their rugby skills on. The day certainly became competitive with students from Bristol Brunel Academy coming out on top across the day!

During the session, the student’s ideas for a more sustainable stadium experience were all collected and will inform future planning, as well as form a mural art piece showcasing the innovations. Great ideas included harnessing the use of solar panels, wind turbines, better connected public transport, and even included plans and considerations to make the stadium more accessible for the deaf.

For more information about this event or to hear more about other projects the Inspire Sustainability team is working on, contact engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk

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