Thames Water launched Tunnelworks [1], a new, free interactive set of educational materials for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, last week. The ideas and resources can be used for bronze and silver CREST projects.
The online classroom resources for the ‘Supersewer’ will inspire secondary school pupils in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and raise awareness of careers in engineering. The free educational programme explores the science and maths behind the design, construction and operation of the proposed Thames Tideway Tunnel.
Interactive, whiteboard friendly, lessons, worksheets and teachers’ notes make the resources simple to use. They aim to inspire the young generation to learn how to link together learning in the classroom with real life career opportunities.
You can explore Tunnelworks resources by visiting the new dedicated website www.tunnelworks.co.uk [1]. Among the subjects covered in the science lessons are forces, pressure, wavelengths and electrical circuits. Maths lessons include averages, area, volume, Pythagoras Theorem and bearings.
Suliaman Zaheer a trainee engineer on the project, who features in the lesson videos, said: “As someone who has benefited from this project’s ambition to help upskill young engineers and provide them with job opportunities, it is a great feeling to be able to give something back.
“I hope that Tunnelworks will highlight to young people the range of careers available in the field of engineering and inspire them to follow me and work on one of the country’s most exciting infrastructure projects.”
Also appearing in the lesson videos is Sarah Dye, lead engineer on the central section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. She said: “It’s great to be able to give young people a sense of what life is like as an engineer and the challenges facing us in designing and constructing the project.
"As a female engineer, I think it’s really important that the industry helps to enthuse young women in what is a very exciting and rewarding career.”
In addition to classroom resources, Thames Tideway Tunnel employees will invest more than 350 hours volunteering in schools in the capital over the next academic year. 15 STEM Ambassadors are available up to three days a year to help with the delivery of bespoke science and engineering related activities across the five London boroughs most impacted by construction work for the project (Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Southwark, Newham and Greenwich). You can arrange for a STEM Ambassador visit by emailing education@tidewaytunnels.co.uk [2].
Thames Water are also planning Post-16 Maths and Science resources and a competition which will be available from spring 2013.