Saudi Students to Compete in F1 STEM Initiative for the first time
April 8, 2022
For the first time ever, students from Saudi Arabia will be participating in F1 in Schools, Formula One's annual international STEM education challenge. They will race against 26,000 schools from 52 countries in London this July as part of the global educational initiative which uses the sport to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning around the world.
First introduced in the UK in 1999, F1 in Schools wants to help change the perceptions of STEM by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in engineering, Formula 1, science, marketing and technology. The non-profit leverages the popularity of F1 to engage students aged nine to 19. In 2021, Formula 1 had a combined television viewership of 1.55 billion worldwide, and the season finale in Abu Dhabi drew 108.7 million viewers, a 29% increase from the same race in 2020, and the highest viewing figures for a race during the season.
The program inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.
The three Saudi student teams will encompass three to six members each and be judged on specification and scrutineering, design and engineering, project management, enterprise and a verbal presentation. During the racing section, teams are scored on time trials and can earn an additional Fastest Car Bonus.
As part of the multidisciplinary challenge, students team up to deploy CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and manufacturing) software to collaborate, design, analyze, manufacture, test, and then race miniature compressed air-powered cars made from F1 model blocks. Roles in the team include a team manager, a manufacturing engineer, a design engineer, a graphic designer and a resource for regional finals. In addition to building an F1 moving model car, students must prepare a business plan, develop a budget, raise sponsorship and collaborate with industry players.
Participants undertake an intensive training program to be able to come up with three models of F1 cars that will participate in this year’s final. To prepare the Saudi students for their debut, Aramco, the title sponsor for the challenge’s Saudi chapter and Ithra, a leading creative public hub supporting the development of the Kingdom’s knowledge and learning sector, hosted a training hub to train, mentor and support local participants and prepare them for the world finals.
“It had piqued my interest and made me want to major in physics and engineering (subjects),” said participant and group leader Ghalia Alshehayeb who’s loved F1 since she was a kid. “I really wanted to join this program as I saw F1 and physics and formulating this car as nothing short of interesting.”
“The boys and girls participating in this first-ever Saudi cycle were absolutely amazing in their dedication and ingenuity. I won’t be surprised to see some of them making headlines with their scientific and engineering achievements in the next few years,” Ashraf Fagih, Ithra’s head of programs, said.
The training program was held in collaboration with King Fahd University of Petroleum, and the Minerals and the Technology Advancement and Prototyping Center, where 20 shortlisted students from both government and private schools undertook training conducted by five specialist facilitators.
Source: Arab News