Vicky Goldsworthy, an engineer with Futaba-Tenneco has won the Rogers Knight Award that recognises engineers who work with teachers to inspire pupils about a future in engineering. The Primary Engineer organisation created the award in partnership with BCAS to commemorate the life and work of Rogers Knight, a past president of BCAS.
Cherry Fold Community school teachers Tracy Adams and Georgina Duckworth, who run an after-school engineering club for pupils, nominated Vicky for her inspiring work with children from the school.
Says Tracy Adams: “Vicky has been coming to our after-school engineering club every week over the last three years. One of the projects that we ran this year was to design and build a battery powered vehicle that could move forwards, backwards and up a ramp with an action figure secured in it.
‘Vicky worked with the children to help them plan and develop their ideas into a working vehicle. Right from the start Vicky made a huge difference improving their confidence and inspiring them. She was a fantastic role model and has inspired at least one pupil, Ellie to become an engineer in the future.”
To be considered for the award, engineers were nominated by the teacher whom they supported. To complete the nomination, these teachers were asked to write a short letter detailing their experience working with the engineer including, the impact the engineer had on the pupils, the curriculum, the school and themselves. In addition, pupils who had worked with the nominated engineer were asked to give their feedback.
In their letter to the judges the children wrote: “Vicky is an amazing engineer … who will do anything to help us succeed. We never wanted to be engineers, now we do when we are older. Vicky has inspired us!”
Looking at a number of factors such as: increased teacher confidence, number of children inspired and length of relationship with the school – the BCAS board selected Vicky and Cherry Fold Primary school from a shortlist of 15.
Said Vanda Jones, executive director of BCAS: “It is clear from the nomination that Vicky was truly inspirational to the pupils at Cherry Fold community school. She has inspired a number of pupils who might otherwise not have considered engineering as a career in their future. The Primary Engineer award is invaluable in encouraging children to become our future engineers to help solve what is acknowledged as an ongoing skills shortage in this country.”
Primary Engineer is a not-for-profit organisation, operating nationally, focussed on raising young people’s awareness of an aspiration towards STEM careers – specifically engineering. If you would like to find out more about the Primary Engineer programmes, visit www.primaryengineer.com.