Held in regional areas of Australia the Regional Engineering Project is a combination of two of our programs; the Engineering Link Project and Linking Engineers and Scientists with Teachers. The workshop takes place over two days with the first day dedicated to students and the second to teachers.

Day 1: Students

Completing two shortened Engineering Link Project modules in one day, Year 10, 11 and 12 students are guided by professional engineers to solve a model engineering problem and discover what a career in engineering involves. Depending on availability of engineers, the problems can include:

• Create a model retaining wall (civil engineering)
• Recycle and purify dirty water (environmental engineering)
• Build a vehicle to carry a load a given distance in a given time (mechatronic engineering)
• Build a crane capable of holding a load on an unstable surface (mechanical engineering)
• Program a robot to follow a complex path (computer engineering)
• Build a remote vehicle to operate underground (mining engineering)
• Build a bridge from basic materials to carry a specified load (military engineering)
• Plot an invasion using maps (geometric engineering).

The projects are designed to show how maths and science are integral parts of engineering and what a career in engineering is really like.

Day 2: Teachers

Bringing the LEaST Project to regional teachers, engineers from the local community, in partnership with the local group of Engineers Australia, meet and work with local teachers:

• Guest engineers will talk about the roles of engineers and scientists in society and how their problem solving approaches can be applied to teaching in context.
• Receive enrichment and resource materials for your current, or developing, contexts in Physics, Mathematics and Engineering Technology.  Chemistry will be discussed if opportunities arise.
• Experience practical activities as a student would, gaining valuable insights and ideas for assessment.
• Form enduring partnerships that will enhance your classroom practice and potentially life-long connections that will enrich your everyday teaching experience.

As part of the program, we supply resource materials for current or developing contexts in Physics, Chemistry, Technology, Engineering Studies and Mathematics. Our aim is to give teachers direct experience so that they can motivate and engage their students in maths and science-based study.