HSL has been helping to inspire a new generation of engineers
through a project funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering
(RAE).
'Ingenious' is a public engagement grant scheme which the RAE
established in order to make engineering more accessible to
the public. Over the last six months the scheme has funded HSL
staff to visit local schools to give talks about the
type of work that the laboratory does as well as involve pupils in
practical hands-on experiments.
As a result of the interactions local school
children were asked to design posters showing how they
would use 
engineering to make the world a safer place. Ideas
ranged from a knife protector to a suit specifically designed for
entering volcano's! The posters were judged by HSL's Director of
Science Dr Andrew Curran and HSL non-executive Board member and
Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dame Sue Ion. The
winners and their families were treated to a special guided
tour of HSL where they got to see some real-life experiments
'up-close'.
Dr Curran commented, 'We were particularly keen to be involved
in this project. Science and engineering are vital to everything we
do so it's important that we encourage young minds to take an
interest in these disciplines '. He added, 'The ingenuity and ideas
that we've seen have been incredible and it was extremely difficult
to choose a winner - so we chose two! In fact we may well be taking
up a few of the inventions ourselves!'
The posters are on display at Buxton Museum until November
3rd.