Cooking with the sun
On 23 November about 60 year 10 students from local schools became solar oven engineers for the day in an event, ‘First Edition’ hosted by School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences (CEIS) in partnership with EDT, UK largest provider of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). First Edition has been developed by EDT and delivered by Northumbria University to encourage students from diverse groups to consider higher education and career in Engineering.
While at the University, students have learnt how to use the sun’s energy to heat up a meal. The activity has been delivered by Dr Phil Hackney who designed the project to give students age 14-16 the opportunity to get closer to engineering and inspire them with hands-on practical learning experience to pursue career in engineering. On the day Dr Hackney introduced students to history of solar cooking in Africa and showed several solar ovens currently being used in Tanzania. The visit has ended by testing and judging the performance of the solar ovens and selecting the most efficient one. The visit has been very well received and feedback found that 86% of the students felt inspired to consider going to university or college.
Dr Hackney, Principle Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering says: “School of CEIS will continue its commitment in showing young people from the region that Engineering is not only about application of maths and knowledge of materials- it’s a diverse subject that makes a difference to people’s lives.”
Date posted: December 20, 2011
