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Grass Kart Challenge event still accepting registrations! Print
Schools interested in entering a team for the 2010 Grass Kart Challenge, to be held in Invercargill in October this year, can still register for this exciting event!

Please make ALL registrations and enquiries directly via the Grass Kart Challenge website page below:

http://www.grasskartchallenge.co.nz/Contact.html

Registrations close Thursday 11 February 2010 - be in quick!

You will be sent all the information you need to help you get the project underway with your students, including full build guidelines and specifications, costs, and a competency mapping exercise that will help you with unit assessments through students' participation in this project.
To learn more about the Grass Kart Challenge click here.

grasskart
 
Golden Bay High students build and race production saloon car! Print

Speedway fans across the Marlborough region should keep an eye out for a racy ‘new' Honda Prelude at future production saloon car race events. It's the final product of a hardworking senior engineering class from Golden Bay High School, who've rebuilt the car as a project all the while achieving engineering unit standards using Tools4Work resources.


When a disused Honda Prelude was gifted to the school earlier in the year, technology teacher, Ben Knoef, wasted no time rallying his senior engineering class together to get it up and running again. Their goal - to make a race-worthy machine that would test their skills and help them learn mechanical engineering in the best way possible; hands-on.


‘The students totally stripped down and rebuilt the car, complete with a certified roll cage," says Ben. "They also added a fuel cell, several other safety-related fittings, and had to exercise a very high level of workmanship to meet the strict regulations of the NZ Speedway.


"This has been a great engineering challenge for our small team of students. I believe we are the only school involved in the National Speedway sport of racing.


"The other positive spin off is we're encouraging and supporting the idea that racing is OK for the track, but not on the street," says Ben.


Although Ben and his students hoped to have the car ready for the start of the season at Nelson Speedway, they've managed to get the car on the track every fortnight since its completion a few weeks ago, with only a minor ‘running repairs' required to keep it track-worthy.


"We now race the car every fortnight at the Nelson Speedway Track, and hope to race it to other tracks in the top half of the South Island."


And who's at the wheel of the finished project?


"Our driver, Patrick, is a Year 12 student at our school - before this experience he had never even been to the speedway as a spectator, let alone as a competitor, so we've created a number of firsts with this project!" says Ben.


The team at Tools4Work congratulates Ben and his students on their achievements, and we'll report on their track progress as they start building up a tally of results!

Saloon_Car

Above: This Honda Prelude was completely rebuilt to National Speedway regulations by Golden Bay High School's senior engineering class.  They now race this car in the production saloon class at the Nelson Speedway every fortnight, and hope to race in other centres in the top half of the South Island.
 
Engineering project an electrifying success for Kapiti students Print
Earlier last month, the year's work came to an ‘electrifying' conclusion for some Year 12 Kapiti College technology students who enjoyed a race-off of the electric go-karts they'd built themselves in class.

In total, nine electric go-karts were built by the students, who completed the project as a means to successfully achieve some of their Level 2 mechanical engineering units via Tools4Work.

"I think the word ‘success' is a bit of an understatement here," says Gavin Coleman, teacher and Technology HOD at Kapiti College.

"Lots of parents turned out to see the races on the Friday, and teachers from other departments of our school were really shocked and amazed at what our students had produced - there were massive smiles all around!"

Best of all, the performance of the finished karts came as a surprise to onlookers, who had mixed expectations about the capabilities of the karts.

"All of the spectators were expecting the go-karts to have similar performance to an electric wheelchair. What they saw instead was wheel-spinning, tyre-screeching monsters!"

Now that the project's complete, and the students have raced-off their creations, you'd think Gavin and team might put their feet up and reflect on a job well done. But Gavin's already preparing to ensure another year of senior students will enjoy learning for a possible career in engineering under his guidance.

"I'm looking forward to next year's projects already!" says Gavin.

Keep up the great work - it's a pleasure to see both students and teacher having such a great time learning and imparting industry knowledge, and igniting the imagination of tomorrow's mechanical engineers.

Electrickarts_small

Above:  And they're off!  Kapiti College engineering students wheelie off the start line on the electric go karts they built themselves in class.
 
Top workmanship on display at Hillmorton High Expo Print

Year 11 - 13 students at Christchurch's Hillmorton High School put their engineering project works on display at the Expo, and to be judged on the calibre of their workmanship. Held on Tuesday 17 November, the Expo saw a number of ‘tricked out' but functional minibike and pedal car projects go on show from students who'd worked on them throughout the year.

The guest judge for the evening, John Connelly of Hamilton Jet, said that it was difficult to judge as there were several pieces with similarly high standards of workmanship. Also judging on the night was the school's principle, Ann Brokenshire, who had the honour of awarding a ‘Principle's Choice' award to the student with the most ‘aesthetically pleasing' work.


Tools4Work were there to support the Expo, and impart a few words to the students on how to make the most of their learning experiences at school, to bridge seamlessly into an engineering apprenticeship when they're ready to move into the workforce.


National Moderator for Schools, Brian Lane, spoke at the Expo to explain the benefits of completing their Level 1 and Level 2 engineering units while at school.


"Completing their engineering units while they're at school gives students a distinct advantage when they're ready to move into a mechanical engineering apprenticeship," says Brian.


"The Level 2 units underpin and count toward any Level 4 mechanical engineering qualification, helping you get ahead before you even start your apprenticeship."


Brian also spoke generally about how students' achievements in engineering class are intimately linked to how teachers "captured their imagination through project work, such as we see here today."


The school's engineering teacher and Expo organiser, Patrick Neal, believes there's strong potential for an even bigger Expo in 2010 to showcase students' work from high schools right across the Canterbury region.


"It's one thing to be assessed at school and have your work evaluated from an academic perspective - it's another thing to be assessed on the workmanship and quality of your work by industry professionals and your peers, and sharing the experience with loved ones," says Patrick.


"There's also a sense of accomplishment that comes with putting your work on show, which every student can benefit from experiencing. Plus we'd like to thank Tools4Work and our prize pack sponsors from industry who've shown great support for our top performing students."


The winners on the evening were:

Year 12 & 13 - Minibike project
1st - Tom Fraser (prize pack from Scott Machinery & Hamilton Jet)
2nd - Craig Wilton (prize pack from Trade Tools / Denis Cunningham)
3rd - Delvyn Naidu (prize pack from Steel & Tube)

Year 11 - Pedal Car project
1st - Jack Hamilton (prize pack from Chevpac / Hamilton Jet)
2nd - Brendan Brown (prize pack from Drills Taps & Dies / Hamilton Jet)
3rd - Daniel Broughton (prize pack from Steel & Tube)

Principle's Choice Award
Cameron Hoare - Pedal Car / 'Red Baron' replica

If your high school is in the Canterbury region, and you're interested in taking part in a regional Expo in late 2010 to showcase your students' technology/engineering work, please contact:


Patrick Neal - Hillmorton High School 
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Principles_choice

Above: A selection of the Year 11 student Pedal Car projects on display in Hillmorton High School's whare.
The 'Red Baron' pedal car (foreground) by student Brendan Hoare won the Principle's Choice Award.
 
Students wing their way to success with Air NZ Print

Two senior students from Macleans College in East Auckland were recently awarded apprenticeship opportunities in avionics with our national carrier, Air New Zealand. Tony Mackenzie and Matthew Williams both got a flying start to their careers with the help of Tools4Work gaining engineering unit standards while at school.


Tony and Matthew both undertook a pre-trade training apprenticeship earlier this year with Air New Zealand in their Turbine Engine Department, as well as spending time training in helicopter maintenance at Ardmore Aerodrome. The two budding engineers were then selected for full-time avionics apprenticeships in Air NZ's initial intake.

 

Engineering teacher, Corrie Lindgreen, describes both Matthew and Tony as "top students". Tony received the college's top engineering student award in 2008; an award that was presented by Tools4Work.


According to Corrie, the number of students wishing to enter into engineering studies and careers at the college has increased steadily over the last few years, helped by the fact that resources like those presented by Tools4Work are available to support teachers in delivering Level 1 and Level 2 engineering unit standards.


Air New Zealand has engineering divisions based at both Auckland and Christchurch International airports. Avionics apprentices gain engineering skills and knowledge on-the-job to perform all kinds of structural and mechanical maintenance tasks on both commercially-operated and private aircraft types, but primarily Boeing and Airbus aircraft.


Got a story about Tools4Work students getting their first job in engineering? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tony Matthew
Macleans College students Tony Mackenzie (left) and Matthew Williams (right) start their
avionics apprenticeships with Air NZ next year.

 
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