About Formula 1 Engineering Lab
Lightyear Foundation delivered an accessible F1 engineering project to disabled and neurodivergent children and young people. The project aimed to raise awareness of engineering through a series of workshops, interacting with real world engineers and taking part in different activities. The project also aimed to increase the knowledge of the engineers in working with disabled and neurodivergent children and how to make engineering inclusive and accessible.
As part of the project they delivered six four-week F1 Engineering Labs to 40 students in three different school settings; a special school, an autism hub in a mainstream school and a pupil referral unit. Students explored forces, friction, energy, aerodynamics, and designed, tested and raced their own cars. Lightyear Foundation learned that delivery needed to be flexible and vary between the different settings to engage and reach the differing needs of students.
The labs were supported by some fantastic volunteer engineers who got the opportunity to learn about inclusive delivery and ways to make engineering activities accessible. Volunteers had the opportunity to share their work and routes into engineering and help inspire young people in STEM. The project also included creating a video profile of a neurodivergent engineer for the Celebrating STEM Stories programme, which highlights people working in STEM and shows disabled and neurodivergent young people that STEM can be a place for them.
Key outcomes
Lightyear Foundation worked with Watch and Learn Productions to create the Celebrating STEM Stories video and also a highlight film of the Labs. This highlighted the impact of the labs on the students and showcased the work.
They also partnered with Curiosity Box to deliver leave-behind resources to each school who took part so more students could start experimenting with engineering.
Each school also had an opportunity to take part in a Work Inspiration Trip where students could see STEM in action. Thirty six students from the three schools visited Prodrive and the British Motor Museum. Students had the opportunity to take tours, hear from those working in the organisations and take part in an engineering activity. The trips helped show the students that STEM is all around them and highlight different careers in engineering.
The project won the Engineering Matters Gold award for Diversity for their engineering work, including this project. They were featured on the Engineering Matters podcast.
