13 November 2007
Media advisory

Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers Awards Merit Winner 2007 – Green Bay School, Pack, Pedal and Park

The annual Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers Awards recognises the best and most innovative collaboration between students, teachers and volunteer engineers. The aim of the awards is to create a greater awareness of the engineering profession and encourage innovative thinking in the areas of engineering and technology.

Green Bay School, Bayswater School, Browns Bay School and Clevedon Primary, all of Auckland were awarded merit prizes which consisted of $500.00 each.

Transpower and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand will present Green Bay School with their prize at the school this Thursday, 15 November 2007 at 9 am.

Papakura’s Sunnyhills School and Glendowie’s Churchill Park School each won a first prize of $2000.00 for their age groups.

The aim of Green Bay School’s project was to improve the old and rusty bike stands and to improve the access to these.

The students looked at: what other schools currently have; the size and materials that would be required; what the students and the caretaker wanted; what restrictions might be placed on their design; and the access to the bike stands and how it could be improved.

Kenny Liew, an engineer from Watercare Service Ltd, helped the Green Bay School to develop their project.

”It has been a real privilege to work with such an amazing group of children at Green Bay School,” Mr Liew said. “I hope my efforts have inspired them to think about engineering as a future career. I look forward to encouraging other Watercare graduates to follow my lead and get involved with the Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers Awards next year”

Year seven and eight class teacher Phil Spriggs said: “The Transpower Neighbourhood Engineers Awards provided this group of students with a unique opportunity and they rose to the challenge. It was exciting to watch their development and progression and to have them approach on a regular basis to check that Kenny was coming back soon. I feel sure that we have kindled an interest that will follow these students to high school and perhaps influence their subject choice.”

Green Bay School’s project left lasting effects on the student body. One student said that he learnt about engineering and how to do design “stuff” and he looks forward the seeing the bike stand built.