An oilfield-related science challenge issued by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) had students thinking outside the box Oct. 30.
The APEGA Science Challenge brought together Grade 10 Holy Rosary High School students at the Servus Sports Centre in Lloydminster to explore engineering and problem-solving.
Organized by APEGA, the event aimed to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through a practical and engaging experience.
The students were tasked with building a hydraulic arm from household materials like duct tape, cardboard, and syringes. Additionally, their challenge was to design an arm that could complete progressively more complex tasks within a limited two-hour timeframe.
“It’s an excellent experience, and I recommend it,” said Grade 10 student Brady Gauld, who described the event as a valuable shift from classroom-based learning. “I think learning everything about hydraulics and science is important to everyday life. It’s more real-life science and less in the classroom.”
Nigel McCarthy is the director of education for the Lloydminster Catholic School Division. He values the real-world application this challenge gives the students.
“Careers don’t happen in the classroom; careers happen in the real world,” he said. “These are the kinds of experiences that make us part of the future for our kids.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy hopes events like this expand to other schools. It allows students from various communities to collaborate on challenges. Additionally, those challenges mirror the kind of problem-solving they’ll encounter in higher education and future careers.
“It’s about gaining confidence and resilience in the face of new challenges,” added McCarthy.
Nathan Ash, an APEGA representative, highlighted the importance of providing students with practical applications for the skills they learn in school.
“One of the things APEGA wants to encourage is fostering math, science, collaboration, and problem-solving,” said Ash. “In engineering and STEM, a lot of what you do involves turning things on paper into something real. This allows students to be creative and work with their hands.”
However, the hydraulic arms was created by students to serve as miniature versions of equipment used in industries from manufacturing to food production to oil and gas.
“These hydraulic arms are the type of devices we use all the time in various industries,” Ash explained. “It’s that practical side of engineering — understanding how something works and then seeing what can be done with it.”
For the students, the task was both exciting and challenging.
“Making a good base that will support the whole thing is pretty challenging,” said Gould. “Using the hydraulics in a way that lets them move exactly as you need is pretty difficult.”
Jade Scutt, a Science and STEM 10 teacher at Holy Rosary High School, explained that the students only had basic materials, which encouraged creativity and resourcefulness.
“They found out they have to build a hydraulic arm to complete a series of tasks,” Scutt said. “It’s all about being creative with duct tape, cardboard, and zip ties and seeing what might work best.”
Ash hopes this hands-on experience ignites an interest in engineering careers.
“APEGA’s goal with the Science Challenge is to give kids an opportunity to try something hands-on and foster more practical applications for science and STEM,” said Ash. “We want to encourage students to consider engineering as a future path.”
According to everyone in attendance, the event was a success. In the future, they hope that students from both boards will attend and provide a friendly challenge on the science battlefield.
Read More: Students recognized at Holy Rosary – Meridian Source
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