More than 1100 Tasmanian students are racing the clock this week, building bridges, testing wind turbines and launching gliders as the National Science and Engineering Challenge gets underway.
More than a thousand Year 9 and 10 students from 42 high schools across the state are taking part in the hands-on competition, which began on Wednesday and will run through to the state finals in Launceston on 2 June.
Across Hobart, Burnie and Launceston, teams are tackling fast-moving challenges that reward creativity, teamwork and quick thinking. There are no set instructions, with students encouraged to test ideas, adapt and try again.
From designing a mechanical arm to building structures strong enough to survive a "bridge buster", the Challenge turns science and engineering into something students can see, touch and test.
For many students, it is their first chance to imagine where these skills might take them, whether that is further study, future careers or helping shape Tasmania's future. Science and engineering skills will play a key role in Tasmania's future, and events like this help ensure students across the state have the chance to explore them.
Professor Tim Finnigan, Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Tasmania, said the event gives students a real sense of how science and engineering relate to the world around them.
"This is an opportunity for students to discover that science and engineering are not just subjects in school. They represent skills that can be used to solve real problems," Professor Finnigan said.
"They get to test ideas, see what works, and make changes to improve the outcomes. That is exactly how engineers and scientists work every day."
The National Science and Engineering Challenge is presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with the University of Tasmania and the Rotary Clubs of Tasmania.
The event is supported by the Tasmanian Government's Department for Education, Children and Young People, TasWater and the Rotary Clubs of Tasmania, along with in-kind support from Hydro Tasmania, local councils and STEM professionals across the state.
The state finals will be held in Launceston on Tuesday 2 June.
