One of the winning teams in school science competition the Bright Spark Awards have been treated to a prize experience day at one of Kent’s leading technology firms.

The Project Stairgen team from Simon Langton School for Boys visited the Dover factory of Megger, where they learned how the manufacturer of electrical testing equipment takes its innovative products from drawing board to delivery.

Megger engineering programme manager Martin Heritage said: “The day allowed the students to gain an appreciation of how Megger designs, develops and manufactures its products.

“The students were taken through the process of developing a new Megger instrument, starting from innovation, new technology and concept development, all the way through to product manufacture and launch.

“A tour of our in-house product test and qualification facilities and sessions with our engineering design teams focused on the key engineering disciplines that are necessary to design and develop a new Megger instrument, including electronics, mechanical design, magnetics, software development and testing.”

The Project Stairgen team won their prize with Megger after developing a system to improve safety in the home by capturing the energy people expend walking up and down stairs to power staircase lights.

Project StairGen was inspired by a collaboration with PaveGen, a London firm that developed a paving-slab system to convert energy from people’s footsteps into electrical power, and whose CEO – Laurence Kemball-Cook – is a Simon Langton old boy.

Awards coordinator Maxine Tarquini of the KM Charity Team said: “Given Project StairGen’s focus on safety and electricity, this was such an appropriate prize.

“I really hope the day gave the pupils involved some sense of how they can continue to use their love and understanding of science to pursue exciting, socially valuable careers after school and university.

“Entry is now open for the 2019 Bright Spark awards, and I would urge schools to start thinking about submitting entries now.”

The awards aim to help make science cool, and are open to both primary and secondary schools.

Pupils are encouraged to collaborate using cross-curricular skills in science, technology, engineering and maths. Shortlisted teams take part in a Dragons’ Den-style final, and the overall champions receive a prize of £500.

Besides Megger, the awards are supported by Global Associates, Atkins Global, Pfizer, Discovery Park, BAE Systems, Astro Communications, and Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes)

Other businesses interested in taking part in the judging process should contact awards organiser Maxine Tarquini of the KM Charity Team at mtarquini@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 0844 264 0291.

The deadline for entries for this year’s competition is noon on Friday, May 31. Find out more here.