28 September 2009
F1 in Schools on BBC1 pre Singapore GP build up
Behind the scenes at McLaren with Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton gives BBC Sport a tour of McLaren's Technology Centre in Woking and the duo revisit their gym challenge, much to Jake's distress.
22 September 2009
Koni Kats treated to guard of honour
Yesterday (Monday) Koni Kats were treated to a guard of honour by their teachers and classmates as they arrived back at school for their first day after winning the World Championships.
Koni Kats made a ceremonioius tick beside their team whiteboards mission To Win the World Championships - it has been their written mission since the team started work for the competition, two years ago!21 September 2009
Hero's Welcome for Koni Kats at Dublin Airport
Saturday 19th Sept: A mob of fans were out in force at Dublin Airport to welcome home World Champions Koni Kats - a fitting welcome home for the F1 in Schools World Champions!!
18 September 2009
Koni Kats crowned World Champions!
The Koni Kats team from David's Secondary School in Greystones, County Wicklow took the top honours at the fifth Formula One in Schools Technology Challenge World Championships held this week in London.
14 September 2009
World Championships Live!!
11 September 2009
Koni Kats represent Ireland at F1 in Schools World Championships
Team Koni Kats arrived in London yesterday afternoon to compete for the Bernie Ecclestone Trophy with the hopes of becoming the World Champions of F1 in Schools.
In April 2008 Koni Kats fended off competition from all over Ireland and claimed the title of “National Champions” in the not-for-profit secondary schools technology competition, F1 in Schools, organised by the Irish Computer Society in partnership with Discover Science Engineering.
F1 in Schools™ is a global competition that challenges students to design, build and race model Formula 1 cars powered by compressed air canisters.
The 2008 Irish champions, team Koni Kats from St David’s Secondary School in Greystones, are now representing Ireland at the F1 in Schools World Championships. The competition is taking place over three days, 14th-17th September 2009, where they will have to compete against over 30 teams from around the globe.
The team will also have the opportunity to meet their real life heroes Lewis Hamilton, Formula One World Champion and Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of Formula One Management who will be attending the F1 in Schools World Championship’s Awards Ceremony.
Sean Clery, Design Engineer of Koni Kats commented, “I would say that this was a life changing experience! It has given me focus for the future and direction for future studies after school”.
Teams wishing to experience the thrills of the competition can now register for the 2009/2010 F1 in Schools™ race season at www.F1inSchools.ie
We wish the team best of luck!!!
High resolution photos available for download at: http://pix.ie/f1inschools/album/354663
02 September 2009
New season of F1 in Schools Technology Challenge™ launched today!
The Minister for Education & Science, Batt O’Keeffe, met today with recent National F1 in Schools Champions, Team Blink from St. Ailbe’s Secondary School, Tipperary and the 2008 National Champions, Team Koni Kats to launch the 2009/2010 season of the F1 in Schools™ Technology Challenge supported by Irish Computer Society and Discover Science & Engineering.
With growing concern regarding sustainability of fuels such as petrol and diesel, car manufacturers are now creating environmentally friendly cars of the future which rely on renewable energies like electricity or hydrogen. F1 in Schools allows students to see the thought process behind creating cars of the future, as they are challenged to build 25cm model cars made from balsa wood and powered by compressed air canisters. Students are now able to register online at www.f1inschools.ie until the 16th October 2009.
F1 in Schools™ is a global competition that challenges students to design, build and race model Formula 1 cars powered by compressed air canisters. The F1 in Schools™ Challenge is a response to a recognised skills shortage in computing and engineering, with technology courses having experienced a significant decline in CAO applications over the past seven years.
Speaking at the F1 in Schools™ launch, Minister O’Keeffe highlighted the importance of promoting careers in technology and science, “As we build the knowledge economy and encourage more school-leavers and college graduates to opt for programmes in science, technology and engineering, it’s vital that we stimulate an interest in these areas at school level.” He continued, “The F1 in Schools Challenge will help to encourage the uptake of subjects that will drive growth in these key sectors of the knowledge economy.”
The competition’s strong emphasis on the use of technology throughout the project – from the use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD)/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software in the design and build of the cars, to PowerPoint presentations, project and financial management tools, and digital imaging – has given students a true sense of the broad range of exciting, rewarding career opportunities that computing offers. Participants appreciate how technology is essential throughout all activities of a business and are encouraged to think of novel ways of applying the latest technologies. Team Hornets, a junior team from O’Fiaich College in Dundalk, impressed the judges last year by introducing touch screen technology into their project.
“My hope is that the innovative approach inherent in the F1 in Schools Challenge will focus students’ minds on choosing careers in science, technology and engineering,” stated the Minister.
Jim Friars, CEO of the Irish Computer Society, expressed his enthusiasm for the not for profit competition, “It has been a wonderful experience to watch this competition and its students progress from year to year. New ideas and technologies are being explored each year by the students, allowing them to use their creativity in a team based project. Following the competition, 76% of students who took part felt that they were more interested in technology than they had been before they started the competition. F1 in Schools shows students how technology can be fascinating and fun!”
The 2008 Irish champions, team Koni Kats from St David’s Secondary School in Greystones, will travel to London in two weeks to represent Ireland at the F1 in Schools World Championships. The competition will take place over three days, 14th-17th September 2009, where they will have to compete against over 30 teams from around the globe. The team will also have the opportunity to meet their real life heroes Lewis Hamilton, Formula One World Champion and Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of Formula One Management who will be attending the F1 in Schools World Championship’s Awards Ceremony.
Peter Brabazon, Programme Director at Discover Science & Engineering, added, “The Formula 1 in Schools Challenge is a very valuable support to second level students in the development of their technical understanding of the world about them. DSE is very pleased this year to be partnering with ICS on this great initiative which shows the relevance of engineering to the every day life and careers of young people. The project supports the natural curiosity of students by encouraging them to solve a key technical problem, namely how to travel faster both efficiently and safely. I wish all the many entrants every success in the competition."
