The Isle of Wight Schools Hydrogen Challenge is a hands on, interactive programme of workshops for young people to engage in renewable technologies. The workshops, delivered by STEM professionals, explore the possibilities of a low-carbon future and directly support the curriculum at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 (ages 7 to 16). Our approach engages young people from a variety of backgrounds, at all levels of academic ability.

 

Our Secondary School workshop challenges teams to design, build and race their very own hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Working in a process of iterative design, participants are encouraged to build a car as quickly as possible before racing their design in a test of efficiency. The winning car is the design which travels the furthest on a small amount of hydrogen.

 

Our Primary School workshop, with a class of up to 30 students, uses practical maths, science and technology skills. Together, the group work as a team to: programme a Raspberry Pi digital camera, discover that hydrogen can be used for lift and fuel, calculate a payload and the volume of a sphere. After the hard work is done, the group can head outside to take aerial photographs!

 

Arcola educators and engineers have delivered workshops to over 5000 young people since the programme began in 2012. We demonstrate the science behind renewable energy in a fun and tangible way, exploring the workings of a low carbon economy on a miniature scale.