‘Can we build it? Yes we can!’ said our Year 10s on Monday, 22 July, when tasked to scope, design and build their own bridges to a tight brief.
Working with seven volunteers from Yondr Group, one of our Digital Futures Programme Partners, the students had to consider the pretty rural location, the weight-bearing and size restrictions, as well as both the cost and sustainability credentials of their materials. They were asked to appoint team leaders, designers and finance controllers, as well as present their ideas in front of their peers, all in three short hours.
They were helped by the Yondr experts from operations teams, build and construction teams and environmental teams, and even had the extra special support of three year 12 mentors Faris Kadeb, Sean and Roshal, who gave up a day of their reading week to help… although this renegade bunch did magpie leftover materials and submit their own cheeky entry over lunchtime!
As well as their designs and attention to the brief, students were also assessed on their communication and listening skills. Among the winners were one all-girl team, with two extra students per classroom singled out for extra recognition. Winners received Amazon vouchers and Yondr merch.
Yondr’s Vijay Bedarkar said: “Spending time with the students was fantastic. They demonstrated excellent teamwork, managed all aspects of the bridge construction, and exhibited outstanding technical skills. Supporting these young individuals in developing their abilities was a truly rewarding experience. It’s been so fulfilling to help cultivate a pipeline of talent for the digital infrastructure sector.”
Student feedback was positive, with one student saying: “This was a very nice task to gain teamwork skills and have fun with friends.”
Thank you to our students and staff for their energy and enthusiasm and to the wonderful Yondr volunteers.
