This year’s UAS Challenge — organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (ImechE) (
www.imeche.org) and taking place from 16 to 18 June at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre in Wales — will see 120 children from local primary schools take part in aerospace workshops (in an initiative supported by Gwynedd Council).
They will have the opportunity to talk to the international students competing in the Challenge about their drones, watch the aircraft compete in the fly-off and make their own model gliders.
Gwynedd Council is also sponsoring an art and design competition called ‘Air Adventures’, in which the children are asked to submit ideas for aircraft to fight wildfires.
Gwynedd Council cabinet member Gareth Thomas said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring STEM activities for local school pupils once again at the UAS Challenge.
“At last year’s event, young people were able to take part in engineering activities and speak to engineering teams from universities around the world. We hope that this year’s STEM activities will build on that success.”
Snowdonia Enterprise Zone advisory board chairman John Idris Jones said: “The board has been eager to ensure that the local community is engaged in the work of the Enterprise Zone and gets hands-on experience of what the future could hold for the Llanbedr site.
“This is a great opportunity, and I am pleased that children of all ages will be able to take part in activities during the event.”