By Abbi Y, Year 12

This year was the second year running of the GreenSTEM Challenge and we were joined by 5 other schools: Cardinal Wiseman, Ellen Wilkinson, Dormers Wells, Drayton Manor and Greenford High School. At the launch of the challenge in January we were all split into random groups where we were posed with the question of “Can we build a sustainable future in the energy and environmental crises?” After meeting over the next few months, we exhibited our solutions in the form of an essay as well as a presentation in a lecture theatre at the Natural History Museum. 

This experience was extremely valuable as we received mentoring, from PhD students who are studying at Imperial, on how to confidently present information and how to write a scientific essay with cited sources. It was also a perfect social opportunity to learn how to work with new people and develop our communication and teamwork skills. 

The areas of research that the different teams chose to focus on this year were: Aeroponics, Hydroponics, Bio-Plastics, Lab Grown Meat, Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Heat Pumps. This variety of topics gave us a well-rounded view on the problems surrounding the environment and potential solutions for them.

Overall, the GreenSTEM Challenge was an enlightening and enjoyable experience from which I learnt a lot.