Collaboration often leads to innovation – and for three days in May, a group of our Champittet students had the opportunity to experience just that with 200 students from across Europe at the NAE STEAM festival in Prague!
Hosted from May 16th to 18th at Prague British International School, the event brought together primary and secondary students from 10 different Nord Anglia Education schools. Over three days, participants took part in hands-on workshops focusing on five key areas: electronic engineering; mechanical engineering and robotics; design and technology; programming; and artificial intelligence.
Organisers mixed participants from separate schools into different teams to encourage a collaborative spirit, while at least two students from each school were kept on the same team to ease the transition. Our young innovators then put their minds and STEAM skills together to tackle a series of real-world challenges.
Our Champittet students worked on developing sustainable food, creating and sampling hamburgers made from pure meat, pure lentils, or a combination of the two, and analysing their environmental impact. They also considered ways to design eco-friendly housing, powered by renewable energy and other sustainable features.
In other workshops, our participants explored ways to create virtual reality simulations of natural disasters, which could help responders prepare for global emergencies. They examined the effectiveness of soil batteries – a combination of soil, vinegar and copper that can power light bulbs – as alternative energy sources. And finally, our students collaborated on designing a large-scale anamorphic artwork, proudly unveiling their creation on the last day.
“My son came back super happy, excited and really fulfilled from the experience. He learned so much, not just about science, engineering and technology, but also about emotional aspects of life,” commented the parent of one Champittet participant.
A cultural tour of Prague’s historic Old Town provided the perfect finale to an inspiring and educational three days. We’re already looking forward to next year’s STEAM Festival, and we hope to see more students join in the fun!
