Coulsdon Sixth Form College was delighted to host Ms. Thokozile Tembo, a Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ambassador from STEM Learning UK, to celebrate the International day of Women and Girls in Science and British Science Week.
Ms. Tembo, who has a MEng (Master of Engineering), conducted two sessions with students at the college, one in the morning for the Upper Engineers and another in the afternoon for the AS Physics students. Both sessions were hosted by teacher Colin Brownbridge in his engineering and physics lessons.
In the morning, the engineering activity involved a collaborative problem-solving project. Students applied engineering principles to design, build, and test a civil engineering structure addressing a real-world challenge.
In the afternoon, students worked on a case study exploring the application of physics in technology, focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. They chose specific sub-topics and worked in groups to prepare presentations.
The activities Ms. Tembo led incorporated elements of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, reflecting the subjects the participants were studying. Her talk about her journey in STEM illustrated her accomplishments in her field of study.
Marina Fernando, Maths Support Assistant, said: “Having an input from someone as experienced as Ms. Tembo was a great opportunity for the students. They were really engaged in both sessions, asking lots of questions and immersing themselves in the activities. We would like to thank STEM Learning UK and Ms. Tembo for arranging the event and helping to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists.”
One of the students said: “As a physics student, and aspiring future engineer, I found the Energy Project talk incredibly engaging and highly interesting, sparking my further interest in pursuing renewable energy engineering paths. An excellent workshop experience.”
Sam added: “It was really informative and interactive, I learned some stuff about renewable energy, it was pretty fun as well as we did our own presentations about the topic.”
Joyce commented: “The talk was very informative and helped me think about all the different types of engineering.”
Find out more about the courses offered at Coulsdon Sixth Form College here.
