A team of four students from Woodmill High School in Dunfermline has become one of 12 teams to reach the final of a major national schools competition.
With three out of four people globally set to live in cities by 2050, Shell’s Bright Ideas Challenge asked young people aged 11 to 14 to take a journey into the future to imagine creative solutions to power the cities of tomorrow.
Students from Woodmill High looked at how to reduce the demand for energy by making future cities more efficient and came up with an innovative rapid transport system, with pods running on a magnetic network that operates within and between major cities.
The magnetic network would run above ground to leave room for farming so cities can become self-sustaining.
All of that ingenuity impressed the judges, and Woodmill will now go on to the Make the Future London event at the Olympic Park for the chance to win £5,000 for the school.
Zoe Thomson, deputy headteacher, said: “Many children quickly dismiss themselves as ‘not being scientists’ or they don’t see the relevance of the subjects for future careers. But competitions like the Bright Ideas Challenge are vital to help schools like ours demonstrate the real world value of what we teach in the classroom.
“Seeing our students reach the final has not only been hugely exciting for them but it has inspired so many more students at the school.”
As Scottish winners, Woodmill won £1,500, while each of the winning team members will get their own personal tablet computer as well as the trip to the Make the Future London festival from June 30 to July 3.