Hillpark engineers show them Watt’s Watt

Bright sparks from Hillpark Secondary joined more than one hundred girls from schools across Glasgow to take part in the Watt’s Watt Challenge.
By Gillian Loney
Published 3rd Jun 2015, 09:00 BST
Hillpark girls Saha Mohararaja, Kelsey Brian and Saskia Henney are on the case... Photo by Peter Devlin.Hillpark girls Saha Mohararaja, Kelsey Brian and Saskia Henney are on the case... Photo by Peter Devlin.
Hillpark girls Saha Mohararaja, Kelsey Brian and Saskia Henney are on the case... Photo by Peter Devlin.

Organised by Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland (YESC), it was girls only, and the 19 teams were tasked with a series of James Watt-inspired expermients from building a steam-powered boat and a train to carry apples, to making light from an apple.

Carolyn Brittain, biology teacher at Hillpark, said: “Watt’s Watt Challenge was a marvellous opportunity to learn about James Watt’s contribution to the world as we know it today.

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“The teams worked hard, having a lot of fun preparing for it, and have met other like-minded students from Glasgow.

“It’s great for aspiring female scientists and engineers.”

The southside school lost out to Lourdes Secondary, who grabbed the winners trophy and £100, while Notre Dame came in second and received £50.

But Jane Martin, director of YESC Scotland, praised all team for ingenuity — “proof that the future is bright for science and engineering industries”.

John Lawson, quality improvement officer for Glasgow Education Services, added: “It’s great to see the confidence and interest from the girls — we need far more women aspiring to be engineers.”