Blog Posts

22 APRIL 2023

4/22/2023

EARTH DAY 2023: SUSTAINABLE THINKING

IN F1® IN SCHOOLS

At F1® in Schools we recognise that we are living in an age in which our planet is under unprecedented threat. With that, the significance of Earth Day becomes more pronounced with every passing year. The world warms, plastic pollutes, and CO2 emissions continue. And 2023 is no exception to the trend.

However, since the foundation of Earth Day in 1972, April 22nd serves as an annual reminder of the role and responsibility we hold – as individuals and organisations – to enact change. And this year’s UN-designated theme, “Invest In Our Planet”, is particularly apt.

Highlighting the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to solving climate change, it reminds us that we have the power to not only protect what we have, but to make things better.

And nothing gives us more hope for the future than seeing the commitment, passion, and talent of our students – the drive they have to find solutions and deliver new ways of thinking. It’s what makes them so incredible at engineering the model F1® cars on which our challenge is built. But it’s also what makes them so inspiring as the next generation of engineers, innovators, and pioneers.

With sustainable thinking forming part of the judging criteria for F1 in Schools since 2021, recent entries have seen some truly astounding propositions for designing and manufacturing in harmony with the earth and its resources.

Featured in video: Tanwen at the Lenovo UK 2022 F1® in Schools National Finals.

Take, for example, team Tanwen’s commitment to growing eco-friendly, rapidly renewable bamboo from which they can make their car’s axle. Or the pit display demonstration by Primary Class competitors Leaf featuring concrete slabs which generated electricity when stepped on. Or team K Wings' use of plant-based resin and sustainable polyacetal in their car’s wings and wheels. Or Kinnaree Racing's innovative creation of filament made from car exhaust carbon and recycled plastic. And, of course, there is also the innumerable teams incorporating carbon offsetting considerations into their proposals; diligently planting the volume of trees needed to neutralise their attendance at an in-person event, as well as students investigating zero-waste manufacturing, and up-cycling possibilities for excess materials.

Some ideas are big. Some are small.

But we are continuously amazed by the way our young people think – and what it could mean for our planet.

Featured in image: Kinnaree Racing's car, winners of the Formula 1® Sustainability Award at the 2022 Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals.

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13 February 2023

2/13/2023

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SINGAPORE SELECTED TO HOST ARAMCO F1® IN

SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS 2023

F1® in Schools and Aramco are excited to announce that Singapore is the destination for this year’s Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals. The pinnacle event of the leading global STEM initiative takes place from 8 – 14 September, alongside the FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2023.

The 2023 edition of the Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals will be the 18th running of a World Finals event, which brings together outstanding young STEM talents from around the globe, with the student teams already having achieved success in national competition.

Forming teams, designing and manufacturing miniature F1® race cars, and racing them on a 20-metre track has appealed to thousands of students world-wide, with many taking inspiration from the programme to pursue careers in the sport. Talented alumni of the competition currently have roles in Formula 1® teams including Oracle Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, Williams Racing, and Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team.

With previous visits to Singapore in 2010, 2015 and 2018 for the Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals, the location’s popularity, and the spectacle of the country’s Formula 1® night race, is expected to attract a record-breaking 60 teams.

All the teams will have their eyes on lifting the Aramco F1® in Schools World Champions trophy and with this, the opportunity of university scholarships. In addition, 18 category awards, each supported by Formula 1® teams and industry entities, will reward outstanding achievements in individual judging elements of the competition.

Andrew Denford, Founder and Chairman, F1® in Schools said: “We’re very excited to be returning to Singapore this year and showcasing the highest level of our global STEM challenge during the country’s race week. The increasing popularity of the F1 in Schools programme, its expansion into new countries in recent years, and the appeal of travelling to an international Formula 1 Grand Prix has led to us anticipating our biggest ever event with the students’ all eager to compete for the top honours and experience Formula 1 in real life.”

Khalid Al Zamil, Acting VP of Public Affairs at Aramco, said: “Through its unique format, F1 in Schools is promoting education and fostering a culture of creativity in the vital fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are delighted to support this important initiative, which aims to inspire a new generation of innovators, and by bringing the World Finals to Singapore we hope to encourage even wider participation in this global program.”

The Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals 2023 Finals take place with the assistance of a host of partners and supporters. F1® in Schools thanks Aramco, Autodesk, Denford, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, Mitutoyo, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Pirelli, Singapore Grand Prix, FIA Women in Motorsport. City University London, Singapore Tourism Board and FIA Action for Road Safety.

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October 25th, 2022

10/25/2022

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Cultivating the Next Generation of Project Leaders

The next generation of project leaders is already out there — in high schools and universities around the world. One of our jobs at PMI is to help bring them into the profession. PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) is doing just that — with the support of great partners and some highly innovative programming. Olivier Lazar explains all.

Imagine you’re 17 or 18 years old and you’re interested in engineering and hot cars.

Now imagine that someone gives you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to design, build and race a miniature Formula 1® car using some of the advanced technology employed by real Formula 1 teams. And you get to race the car you’ve designed competitively at Silverstone, the home of British motor racing in the U.K.

Would that be cool or what?

The best part of this scenario is that it’s not a fantasy. It’s very real, and it’s brought to you in part by PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF).

In recent years, PMIEF has worked with leading nonprofit organizations around the world to integrate project management into programming for youth ages 5 to 19. It’s all part of PMIEF’s mission to enable youth to realize their potential and to transform lives through project management and PMI’s vision of “inspiring youth to achieve their goals, making dreams a reality.”

“PMI is looking to the future by cultivating the next generation of project professionals,” said Ashley Forsyth, Executive Director of PMIEF. “Our aim is not just to energize the profession by engaging smart young talent. It’s to empower young people who are passionate about social change to drive transformation and help solve society’s biggest challenges.”

In this case, PMIEF has teamed up with F1® in Schools, a not-for-profit organization committed to providing an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the magnetic appeal of Formula 1. Its main objective: to help change perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and to encourage careers in STEM fields by creating a fun learning environment for young people.
The project involves some 26,000 schools around the world and culminates in a five-day World Finals event at a Grand Prix venue. This year’s event at Silverstone’s Wing International Conference and Exhibition Centre brought together 53 teams from 25 countries.

Integrating Project Management

Thanks to its partnership with PMIEF, F1 in Schools is integrating project management into its programs. Staff and in-country coordinators have participated in project management training and coaching, and project management has been built into the competition handbook, which will ultimately be used by 1 million youth in more than 50 countries.
Beyond F1 in Schools, PMIEF has partnerships with Junior Achievement Africa and Special Olympics International. In addition, last year PMI launched the PMI Make Reality Challenge — a virtual global hackathon competition for college and university students to develop creative solutions to challenges related to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).  
In seeking to engage young people, PMI has one important advantage over many other organizations: the skills we teach are immediately applicable to a young person’s life regardless of their age. Just ask Libby Atkin, a 17-year-old student in the U.K., whose team, “SBA Avidity,” won the Best Application of Project Management Award at the Aramco F1® in Schools World Finals, held 14 July in Silverstone.
“I’ve definitely applied some of the principles of project management,” Libby said. “Being at school there is a lot of schoolwork, including coursework on the subject I study. Improving my time management skills and understanding how to delegate time to each individual task has really improved how I tackle things. If I get faced with a challenge or an obstacle, I can now think more critically about the situation.”
Libby served as the project manager on her three-student team, which also included team manager, Missy McArdle, 18, and engineer, Alex Jenkin, 18. All three hail from Scarborough in northern England.
“Project management teaches a number of important life and professional skills,” says Forsyth of PMIEF. “These include team management, organization, time management, goal setting, to name a few. PMIEF is thrilled to see how all the teams in the competition embraced this learning opportunity to understand what project management is and apply it to this exciting and fun STEM challenge.”

Applying Project Management Skills

These sentiments were echoed by members of “Hydron,” the Australian team that was crowned overall winner in the competition.
“I’d really like other young people to know about the utility of project management,” said Will Johnson, Team Principal (with project management specialty), of the Hydron team. “When you actually adhere to these things and set up work breakdown structures, scope statements and other key project management principles, these things can form a really strong skeleton for the team to build itself on. Project management is really important and something that all up-and-coming F1 in School students can really have.”
One other lesson that students in the competition seemed to have learned is the importance of people-centered power skills.
“Teamwork and collaboration have also been really important,” said Libby. “As we’re a small team, we’ve had to collaborate no matter what. Everything gets combined for the end result – it’s a competition at the end of the day, and we all have to meet the same standard. All this has really helped me improve my teamwork skills.”
Could this exposure to project management help refresh the ranks of the profession? Perhaps so, says Libby. “I definitely think project management is a potential career path for me,” she said. “I’m quite an organized person and like things to be in order… I’m interested in the management side of things, and I could see it as a future career path!”
That would certainly be a win for all of us in the project management profession.

Olivier Lazar
Vice President, Youth & Social Impact | PMI

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October 06th, 2022

10/6/2022

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The Earth Prize 2023 is now open!

We are happy to share that registration for The Earth Prize 2023 is now open! The Earth Prize is an annual $200,000 environmental sustainability competition for students between the ages of 13 and 19 all over the world, which rewards the teams whose projects have the most potential to address environmental issues.

Participants in The Earth Prize have access to mentorship by university students from top universities and exclusive learning content covering key environmental sustainability concepts and featuring young environmental change-makers from around the world (here's a sneak peek).

The winning team receives a $100,000 prize to be split between the team members and their school, and 3 runner-up teams receive a $25,000 prize each for their schools. One teacher participating in the competition as a supervisor will also be recognized as "The Earth Prize 2023 Educator of the Year" and rewarded with a $10,000 prize.

Students and teachers can now register on our website for free until November 30th.

For more information, visit www.theearthprize.org or write to [email protected].

The Earth Prize 2022 Factsheet
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The Earth Prize Presentation
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September 29th, 2022

9/29/2022

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MISSION COMPLETED!

Just to let the F1 in Schools community know, our Founder and Chairman, Andrew Denford completed his mammoth charity bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats – 969 miles in 9 days!! 🏆🚴‍

Click the link below to view his story and to donate!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/obccandrewd

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22 APRIL 2023

EARTH DAY 2023: SUSTAINABLE THINKING

IN F1® IN SCHOOLS

13 February 2023

SINGAPORE SELECTED TO HOST ARAMCO F1® IN

SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS 2023

October 25th, 2022

Cultivating the Next Generation of Project Leaders

October 06th, 2022

The Earth Prize 2023 is now open!

September 29th, 2022

MISSION COMPLETED!

Archives

The Challenge

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22 APRIL 2023

EARTH DAY 2023: SUSTAINABLE THINKINGIN F1® IN SCHOOLS

13 February 2023

​SINGAPORE SELECTED TO HOST ARAMCO F1® INSCHOOLS WORLD FINALS 2023

October 25th, 2022

Cultivating the Next Generation of Project Leaders

October 06th, 2022

The Earth Prize 2023 is now open!

September 29th, 2022

MISSION COMPLETED!

Archives

The Challenge

International

Support

EARTH DAY 2023: SUSTAINABLE THINKING

IN F1® IN SCHOOLS

SINGAPORE SELECTED TO HOST ARAMCO F1® IN

SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS 2023