St Eunan’s College has signed up again with a 2014/2015 team, Fusion F1, which will participate in the F1 in Schools Technology Challenge, powered in Ireland by the Irish computer society.
Members of the team are Evan Mc Croary, Dylan Mc Croary, Harry Murphy, Conor Dabell, Nathanial Giddy and Anthony Horgan.
These students will be required to make an aerodynamic model F1 car which will be raced against other participating schools in the regional finals in March and national finals in April.
This is the third year St. Eunan’s has entered this competition and has had great success in the past.
The F1 in Schools Challange is an international competition which now attracts more than 90,000 students across the world in a frenzied dash to design, build and ultimately race model F1 cars powered by compressed air.
Ayrton Kelly of Optimal F1 shares the experience he had with the competition last year… He told Donegal Daily, “Formula One in Schools was one of the best experiences of my life.
“I’ve learned more than I could ever learn from a textbook – from practical things like writing a press release or phone call etiquette to the development of my confidence and communication skills.
“It strengthened my friendships with my team mates and made me respect those in the industry, particularly my namesake Ayrton Senna whom I didn’t fully appreciate until last year.
“I think it’s fantastic that St Eunan’s has a really strong contender again this year and – on behalf of Optimal F1 – Good Luck! And I hope they can get as much out of F1 in Schools as I did.
Once a school has qualified it will receive a kit containing all necessary materials such as balsa wood, of which the car will be constructed.
The team will collaborate with the LYIT in Letterkenny to utilise the facilities, advanced technology and wide range of equipment that they have to offer.
The members of the team already had the opportunity to experience first hand the capabilities of the machinery as they were given a tour of the campus during a recent visit.
Shaun McGinley, the supervising teacher, said F1 in Schools is a great competition for all students, saying, “It promotes a wide range of skills that allow students to be better equipped for every day life.
Visit www.F1inSchools.ie for more information on the challenge.
