On Wednesday, 25th February, twelve of our UIV pupils travelled to Imperial College London’s Electrical Engineering Department for a “Tech for Good Challenge”, accompanied by Dr MacTavish and Mr Bosse. The event, organised by Imperial’s Women in Electrical Engineering group, brought together 78 girls from six schools across London for a full day of invention and learning.
The day opened with an introduction to Electrical Engineering, followed by a panel discussion featuring women engineers and data scientists from Arm, Apple and the London Stock Exchange Group, alongside Imperial professors and students. As well as sharing their career journeys, the panel discussed some of the most exciting recent innovations in electrical engineering. They also spoke openly about their experiences as women, often in the minority within the field, and how the profession is evolving as increasing numbers of young women enter and shape the industry.
Students were then challenged to design a tech product that would solve a real-world problem of the future. Working in teams, they developed creative concepts and presented their ideas in a professional pitch deck. These were judged by Apple engineers and Imperial students. Congratulations to Sophia, Dala and Elsie, whose invention, Hypnos, a device designed to calm an overstimulated brain during sleep, won an impressive third place overall in the Challenge.
After the competition, students took part in a hands-on electronics workshop, assembling their own mini-circuit to take home. They were delighted to be supported by former pupil Polished Corner Venice, now a second-year Imperial Electrical Engineering student, who guided them through the build and shared her experiences of university life. It was a fantastic day of creativity, collaboration and inspiration, giving our students a real insight into how technology can be used as a force for good.
