Young Crossrail Educational Resources
Crossrail is a multi-billion pound infrastructure project that connects Reading in the West with Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the East. One of the aims of the project is to “enhance the reputation of public infrastructure projects through community investment and best practice.” As a part of Crossrail’s approach to community investment, it has developed a programme known as Young Crossrail, which focuses on inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) professionals. They do this primarily through a series of presentations and activities facilitated by volunteer ambassadors within the Crossrail project which focus on everything from interview skills to team construction challenges.
Our project involved working with Young Crossrail, a team within Crossrail Ltd.. Our work involved the design of four activities which link science, technology, engineering, and maths principles to real world examples within the Crossrail infrastructure project. These activities were designed to be implemented by Young Crossrail ambassadors in Young Crossrail partner schools, and were designed for use primarily by students in Key Stage 3 of the UK curriculum. Each activity was also designed to be easily adapted to meet the needs of varying class abilities and dynamics.
The Team (Left to Right)
Rachel Handel, Chemical Engineering with Materials Science Minor ’15
Zhi Hao “Edward” Li, Chemical Engineering with Materials Science Minor ’15
Kwan Yeong “Ashton” Kim, Electrical and Computer Engineering ’15
Adam Trumbley, Mechanical Engineering ’15
As a final deliverable, three Key documents were created for each of the four activities:
- The Ambassador Presentation – The key document of each program that represents the each involved component. This document contains lecture notes and engagement methods for the Ambassador to utilize in the implementation of each program.
- The Ambassador Guide – A supplementary document that provides logistical information about each program and activity, acting as a quick reference of activity information and tips.
- The Student Activity Sheet – The activity sheet including materials lists and task information that will be handed out to the students in each program.
The Four Activities
The following four activities were developed as a result of our project. Click the Images to view the Student Activity Sheets, and click the titles for a look at the Ambassador Guides.
- Clockwork Challenge – Students are required to organize a work schedule using color coded Lego bricks.
- Structure is Key – Students are asked to build weight-supporting structures out of paper.
- Station Creation – Students are asked to design and construct a station out of jelly babies and toothpicks.
- Train Design – Students are asked to create train cars based on predefined specifications.
The following is a link to our final report. This report contains the background research, methodology, findings, and final deliverables of our project. It explains how and why we came to our final conclusions and documents.
This project was made possible through the guidance and resources provided by our Liaisons, Kate Myers and Lauren Hillier, of Young Crossrail.
Special thanks to our WPI advisors, Professors Scott Jiusto and Laureen Elgert.