Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

F1 in Schools is a multidisciplinary challenge presented by the by Re-Engineering Australia Foundation, REA, and supported by the Department of Defence. Combining STEM education with business enterprise, this is an incredible learning experience for young people. Teams of students aged between nine and 19 collaborate to design, manufacture, test and race a miniature F1 car for the STEM side of the competition. The enterprise side requires each team to promote its F1 efforts to create and sell products to raise funds, find industry mentors to help team members develop their ideas and source sponsorship which maximises their efforts.

Three schools from Launceston represented Tasmania in Adelaide for the F1 in Schools national competition last week—Queechy High School, John Calvin School and Riverside High School. Queechy's team, Zenity, and John Calvin's team, Sleipnir, joined four teams from Riverside—Zenith, Convergence, Titanium and Crescent. Notably, Riverside became the first school in Australia to have four teams qualify for the national final which was held at the historic St Peters College. Given that St Peter's College has produced three Nobel laureates, 10 Australian premiers, 42 Rhodes Scholars, an Australian of the Year and many Australian and Imperial honours recipients, it was an exciting location for the Tasmanian students, who pitted their talents against 37 other teams from around the country. These students competed in development and professional classes, with each team producing engineering and enterprise portfolios and a trade display as well as racing their cars. Each member also presented verbally, explaining their role in the team and answering questions from the panel of judges.

Students used IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, coding and manufacturing. They used software like Fusion 360 to create their F1 models and print the final design in balsa wood, using CNC machining for the development class. Professional class cars were manufactured with other nonmetallic materials, which was a great way to showcase the more experienced teams' innovation and engineering nous.

Students learned how to pitch their ideas, how to negotiate and work together as a team, how to think creatively, how to coordinate a major project, how to adapt when something changes, how to set and manage a budget and then how to market their product. These are skills that will prepare each participant for careers ahead for whatever industry they choose to work in.

Each team raised thousands of dollars to cover the money needed for resources, travel expenses and competition entries. Not only did they source sponsorship from businesses in and around Launceston but they also approached local businesses and asked for raffle prizes, held fundraising events and sold the branded products they developed as part of the enterprise component.

What an incredible opportunity for these high school students and their dedicated teachers to represent Tasmania at the Australian finals. For many students, this trip to Adelaide was their first time travelling interstate and independently. A journalist and photographer from Launceston's daily newspaper, The Examiner, met the Riverside High School students and their teachers before they jetted off to Adelaide at the airport. The four smiling faces of the Riverside F1 in Schools team leaders beamed from the front page of the paper the following day, with all Riverside competitors featured inside.

The F1 in Schools competition week started with each team's car being checked against the specified height, weight and length criteria during scrutineering. This was followed by their trade booth displays and interviews with enterprise and engineering team members, and then two full days of racing, which was livestreamed so parents and classmates could watch. The week culminated in a ceremony with individual awards, special recognition awards and major awards presented.

I am thrilled to say Tasmania was represented on the podium. Before I get to that, though, I want to acknowledge the work of the teachers, support staff and students who volunteered as part of the judging team. Indeed, two Riverside High School teachers, Adrian Smith and Richard Gregory, were recognised as REA fellows at the ceremony. Without that level of dedication from schools and each student's family, these incredible young people would not be able to stand proudly on stage representing their state.

My congratulations go to Queechy High School, John Calvin School and Riverside High School for representing Tasmania so well. I particularly congratulate Riverside, with three of its four teams bringing home awards. Convergence won fastest lap in professional class, Titanium won best reaction time and outstanding industry collaboration in development class and Zenith won best team portfolio and best managed enterprise and placed third overall in the development class. An outstanding effort! Congratulations!