CET Travel Awards – Engineering, Leeds
Exploring Engineering with the Smallpeice Trust: My Journey into Chemical Engineering
What is the Smallpeice Trust?The Smallpeice Trust is an educational charity that inspires young people to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) through hands-on workshops and events. Their goal is to spark curiosity and provide practical insight into what an engineering career could look like.
Why I Chose This Engineering Summer Course
Originally, I was interested in chemical engineering, but I realised I hadn’t explored other engineering disciplines yet. This Smallpeice Trust course was the perfect opportunity to try out different areas and talk directly with industry specialists. It helped me finalise my university course choice, and I thought it would be a great experience to reflect on in my personal statement.
What I Got Up To: Engineering Workshops & Activities
Over the three days, we completed a range of exciting, hands-on tasks:
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Straw Bridge Challenge – We built a straw bridge to support weights. Our team came 3rd overall!
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Robot Design and Combat – We created a robot to solve a real-world problem; our idea was the Ocean Plastic Remover. While we didn’t win the robot combat game, the design process was a brilliant learning experience.
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Water Purification Experiment – As part of a chemical engineering module, we used cotton wool, sand, crushed coal, and paper to build a filter funnel to produce the cleanest water sample.
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Bioplastics Workshop – We created colourful samples of bioplastics using dry ice, an exciting glimpse into sustainable materials.
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Organic Food Dye Creation – This chemistry task challenged us to reuse food waste, like carrot peels, orange rinds, and berries, to produce natural food colouring. It sparked deeper thinking about the environmental and economic pros and cons of large-scale organic dye production.
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Mechatronics Session – We learned about circuit design and electrical components in modern engineering systems.
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Sports Night & Social Activities – In the evenings, we had fun events like movie nights, board games, and sports to help us unwind and make new friends.
What Didn’t Go So Well?
Nothing went wrong exactly, it was all well-planned and well-organised. However, since the course lasted only three days, the schedule was intense. We left our rooms at 8 a.m. and returned around 9 pm. Even though the evening activities were enjoyable, by the final day, most of us were understandably tired. Still, the fast pace made every moment count, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
What I’d Recommend to Future Students
If you’re looking for a more relaxed summer school, I suggest avoiding short, intensive courses like this one. Consider longer STEM experiences, lasting a week or more, if you prefer more downtime. But always check the schedule with the organisers before signing up!
Personally, I liked that this course was short and focused, leaving the rest of my summer free while still giving me loads of insight.
What I Learned and Why It Mattered
This experience helped me discover my true passion for chemical engineering. I’m especially excited to explore bioplastics and food waste solutions further at university. The course also taught me to be organised and punctual. I nearly missed the start because of a train delay, but luckily I’d planned to arrive early.
It was also my first time travelling to Leeds, and I loved getting to explore a new city, even briefly. One of the friends I made on the course even lives in Cheltenham, and we’re still in touch today.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to the Cheltonian Trust for this incredible opportunity. I gained real-world insight into engineering, developed new skills, made lifelong friends, and left even more certain about what I want to study at university. It was amazing!
Each year, the Cheltonian Endowment Trust (CET) offers Travel Awards designed to foster independence and career preparation.
Applications are open to all Lower Sixth pupils, and awards are made following an interview process with a panel of three CET trustees. Typically, about 30 pupils apply for a grant and about half are successful. Destinations may be as far as India or Tanzania, or applications can also be for UK-based courses and experiences.