Year 9 Girls Take on STEM Challenge at BACA

A group of enthusiastic Year 9 girls from Longhill recently took part in an exciting STEM Challenge hosted at the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA), where science, technology, engineering, and maths came to life in the most hands-on way.

The day began with a captivating talk from a professor at University College London (UCL), who introduced the students to the fascinating concept of levitating objects using ultrasound. The demonstration sparked curiosity and set the tone for a day full of innovation and experimentation.

Next, the girls teamed up with BACA students for a Lego Robot challenge. Their task? To design, build, and program robots capable of navigating a series of obstacles and completing specific tasks to earn points. Collaboration and creativity were key as the teams worked together to fine-tune their robots and tackle each challenge head-on.

Photo of a drone parked on the floor at BACA playing fields
Photo of platform with rocket attached.
Image of rockets on top of a container.

The final challenge pushed their engineering skills even further. Each team was asked to build two rockets:

  • One rocket was designed to launch and safely return an egg—without cracking it.
  • The second rocket aimed to reach the highest possible altitude, testing the limits of their design and propulsion strategies.

Both challenges required a blend of precision, problem-solving, and teamwork, and the results were nothing short of impressive.

The STEM Challenge was a fantastic opportunity for the Year 9 girls to immerse themselves in real-world applications of science and engineering. They thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with BACA students, learning new skills, and overcoming a series of fun and demanding tasks.

This inspiring day not only showcased the power of STEM education but also encouraged the next generation of innovators to think big, experiment boldly, and work together to solve complex problems.

Longhill Student launching a rocket into the skies at the STEM Trip at BACA

For more stories on Longhill High School: https://longhill.org.uk/news/

Return to previous page