Winners ‘RED Engineers Challenge 2017’ awarded

More than 80 visitors were present at Roessingh on Saturday to encourage the pupils. The prototypes by the ‘RED Engineers’ were assessed by the jury in the categories presentation, problem analyses, creativity, cooperation, innovation and design. This was also the first year in which teacher professionalization; the training of teachers in relation to the assignment, was a key element. ‘This was illustrated really well during the pitches, in which the children showed the constant improvement of their invention during the process.’ According to chairman of the jury Miriam Luizink of Roessingh Research and Development. ‘The children particularly enjoyed applying technology in order to be able to help people with a practical problem.’

The 8 teams consisted of two to five pupils from grades seven and eight in primary school. The participating pupils have worked on the development of different ideas from March to the beginning of June and have developed these into prototypes. All of the teams have presented their idea in their own grade. The team with the best idea and prototype has pitched its idea before the jury, consisting of Miriam Luizink, managing director of Roessingh Research and Development, Nicolien Tip, teacher nature & technology at the PABO program at Saxion and Linda Knowles, former rehabilitator at Roessingh.

The RED Engineers Challenge was organized by Saxion and the University of Twente and Foundation Twente Branding with Roessingh Research and Development as initiator. With this initiative, the partners want to create enthusiasm with children for a technical degree in future at Saxion or the University of Twente. This is necessary because of the growing demand for highly skilled technicians in future, both in Twente as well as worldwide.

For more information and participating schools, have a look at twente.com/redengineers.