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Big Bang Competition 2023 opens for young innovators

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Young people across the UK are being invited to think big, challenge facts, ask questions and invent solutions by entering a project into The Big Bang Competition.

The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition has opened for entries for 2023. 

Inquisitive young minds with an idea to transform the future could win the prestigious title of UK Young Engineer or UK Young Scientist of the Year. Teachers can encourage students to think about issues they’re passionate about or develop solutions to challenges they’ve come across in their own lives by completing a project for entry into the competition.

The organisers said that taking part in the UK’s top STEM competition for young people is a good way to inspire students to think big, solve problems and build their confidence. The winners of the competition will be announced at The Big Bang Fair, which will be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from Wednesday 21 June to Friday 23 June 2023.

Project entries for the competition can cover any topic in the field of STEM and students can find inspiration in The Big Bang Project Gallery online, which is home to past projects, with topics ranging from improving well-being to creating sustainable solutions. To help young people create their own project, there is also The Big Bang Challenge, a new resource to guide students through the stages of STEM project work.

Organised by EngineeringUK - a not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with the engineering community to inspire tomorrow’s engineers - the Big Bang Competition aims to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and provide them with the opportunity to build their skills and confidence in project-based work. It is open to 11 to 18-year-olds from across the UK who have completed a project or activity in any field of science, technology, engineering or maths.

The Big Bang Competition receives hundreds of entries every year. Over the years, young innovators have devised many creative and useful STEM projects, from discovering new ways of making festival camping eco-friendly to redesigning the way in which people work from home. 

For the first time, last year’s competition crowned two female students as the UK Young Engineer and Young Scientist of the Year. Avye Couloute (UK Young Engineer of the Year) from Surbiton High School created an invention which seeks to improve indoor air quality by monitoring and reacting to CO2 levels. Connie Gray (UK Young Scientist of the Year) from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC carried out research comparing the structure of the features of birds from different climates and environments to each other.

The Big Bang Competition 2023 is open for entries until 5pm on 30 March 2023. Students and teachers can find out more and enter the competition online.

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