The challenge commences at USQ

Do you know how to design a war machine, power an entire city or retrieve hidden treasure?

More than 700 Year 10 students from the Darling Downs and Springfield will contemplate these questions and more, during the annual USQ Science and Engineering Challenge.

More than 25 schools will compete in the competition, which will be held at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre from tomorrow until Friday 24th March.

Manager of USQ's Faculty of Sciences, Harry Spencer, said the Challenge is designed to encourage Year 10 students to study science courses in Years 11 and 12.

"The Challenge is aimed at stopping the continuing decline in the number of high school students taking on mathematics, physics and chemistry in senior school," Mr Spencer said.

"It provides students with a great opportunity to apply science and engineering concepts in a fun, competitive and practical setting."

During the Challenge eight schools will compete each day, with each school providing a team of about 25–30 students, who work in smaller groups on a number of activities.

Each day the points from all activities are tallied and the winner announced. The two highest scoring teams over the entire Challenge will then compete at the State Challenge at USQ.

Mr Spencer said the Science and Engineering Challenge, developed by the University of Newcastle, is so successful that Challenges are now held across Australia.

"There are three levels of Challenges – regional, state and for the first time a National Challenge, which was held last year in Newcastle," he said.

The Science and Engineering Challenge is a joint project between USQ's Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering and Surveying and the Rotary Club of Toowoomba East Youth Program.

USQ would like to thank the sponsors of the Challenge: the Department of Main Roads, Armstrong Auto Group, Rotary Club of Toowoomba East, Buchanan Advanced Composites, John Gouldson and John Dornbusch (Dornbusch Partners), The Toowoomba Technology, Mathematics and Science Centre of Excellence, Engineers Australia (Toowoomba Local Group), Springfield Land Corporation, the USQ Student Guild and USQ Residential Colleges.

Media Contact: Fiona Taylor P: +61 7 4631 2559