We have taken an initiative at Swagelok Bristol this year to support the STEM education of Primary School children in the Southwest of England.
The year 6 pupils at Broadmead Primary School in Plymouth are, with our support, embarking on 3 STEM projects surrounding an engineering challenge close to our hearts, submarines.
We are the fluid system provider of choice for such critical applications such as fluid systems on a submarine and many of the submarines we supply are based in Plymouth. Most children in Plymouth have family associations with the MoD. Watching a submarine travelling down the estuary with the out riders would be an unforgettable site for many of us, however it is part of daily life for many of these children and the opportunity to teach more about these feats of engineering was a challenge we couldn't resist.
We knew the children would be enthusiastic to have a better understanding of the workings of a submarine, the noise and enthusiasm on the project day cemented our belief that STEM projects are well worth supporting in local schools.
The project started with the building of a Periscope to comprehend how simple but well-designed assembly of a piece of cardboard and two mirrors can enable you to view a world from different perspective .
Incorporating design and build skills, hands-on assembly alongside a focus on understanding instructions whilst building the periscope. There are similarities between the process used by Swagelok Bristol for the design and build of control panels and by the children at Broadmead in the production of their periscopes.
These are real world skills that we endeavor to support in the next generation. Inspiring children to look towards careers in STEM.
The science behind how periscopes work and the opportunity to use them facilitated the understanding of how a periscope on board a submarine would enable the crew to 'see'.
The follow-up projects will focus on understanding how a submarine maneuvers and the critical nature of a breathing system on-board an underwater vessel.
Watch this space for future updates!
