Australia's Smartest Technology

19 Feb 12

The smartest students and their teachers from around Australia are converging on Adelaide for the F1 in Schools Australian Grand Prix and only one school will win.

F1 in Schools is the world’s largest hi-tech’ STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) program involving 9,000,000 students from 17,000 schools in 31 nations.

Teams must design and make a miniature powered F1 car using NASA-type computer software and industry-grade manufacturing technology. Students as young as 11 master technology that university students don’t use until their final year. Over 2 days the teams will be judged by professional engineers, business people and educators across 11 criteria. In the end, 2 teams will be selected to become Team Australia for the next World Finals.

Right now, Australia are the reigning world champions thanks to Brooks High School from Tasmania. BHS teacher Murat Djakic could lay claim to being the smartest STEM teacher in Australia. He has taken teams to the F1 in Schools Australian Grand Prix 6 years in a row and now has the solid glass Bernie Ecclestone Trophy for world champions on display at his school. He comes to Adelaide - his 7th appearance! - with a completely new team.

Peter Clinton, a teacher from Trinity Grammar School in Victoria, is the only other Australian educator to have been a world champion (2006). He led another team to the F1inS AGP last year where they won the Best Engineered Design Award and he returns in 2012 with another new line-up of students.

Christoff Muller - another Victorian - is the only teacher coming to the F1inS AGP who has been to the world finals twice. In 2010 his team were Australian champions and came 5th in the world finals...in 2011 a different team became junior Australian champions and finished 4th at the world finals. In 2012 he is bringing that same team back to attempt to set a new record: the same team making it to the world finals two years in a row.

Corey Gieskens is a teacher from Pine Rivers State High School in Queensland and his team won the national title in 2010 and came 2nd in the world finals...then his new team took out 2 awards at the 2011 F1inS AGP...and now he is back with the sane students looking for the ultimate victory.

Meanwhile, teacher Stephen Read from Brighton Secondary School in the host city, has taken teams to the F1inS AGP for 5 years in a row and will be hoping that “Azoto Racing” or “Cold Fusion” perform well.

F1 in Schools is operated in Australia by Re-Engineering Australia Foundation, a not for profit organisation founded by engineer Michael Myers OAM.

“Students use the same 3D engineering software that engineers at Airbus, Toyota and NASA use - along with simulated wind tunnel analysis software, desktop smoke and wind tunnels and in-class CNC manufacturing centres. The F1 program is holistic - it teaches students how to work in teams, to take responsibility, to project manage, speak in public and to go beyond the classroom to meet people in industry. When they compete they are judged across 11 criteria of which car speed is just one. The competitive nature of the program appeals to both boys and girls, in fact, the take-up by girls across Australia exceeds 33%. In many cases it is the female students who are the team managers and designers.”

Date: Tuesday & Wednesday February 28-29
Awards Ceremony: Wednesday February 29 commencing 6.30PM
Venue: Mawson Lakes Hotel, 10 Main Street, Mawson Lakes, SA (30 minutes from Adelaide CBD)

Article by Craig Hingston of Your Image Marketing & Media craig@yourimagemm.com.au