Eagles Engineering For The Future

Newcastle Eagles Women’s Team and their Scotswood Road neighbours Pearson Engineering have come together to develop an innovative education project building on the club’s Science of Basketball programme.

Students from primary schools across the region have been benefitting from a new and dynamic engineering programme funded by the Newcastle-based engineers.

Pearson Engineering have enabled 776 schoolchildren from across the North East to participate in this exciting approach to learning.

The project took design and engineering to the next level for the participating pupils. Delivered across a half-day in each school, Eagles women’s players joined forces with science and technology class teachers to bring the subjects to life under a practical project combining a range of fields.

Working in groups, students learn about designing a basketball court within the guidance given by a player, considering the sport’s rules and safety needs, drawing to scale and presenting their designs to their class.

Going beyond the blueprints, students can trade physical exercise and sponsorship opportunities with teachers for information and knowledge they need to complete their designs or exchange what they have learned with their fellow groups.

Dawn Prior, HR Director at Pearson Engineering commented: “We at Pearson Engineering are proud to partner with Newcastle Eagles Foundation in this critical education initiative which is vital to the long-term growth and opportunity for young people in our communities.

“The recent Parliamentary report on the STEM skills pipeline identifies national shortages costing the UK economy £1.5 billion annually, with 49% of engineering and tech businesses reporting recruitment challenges due to skills gaps.

“Research shows early exposure in schools builds foundational skills and curiosity, which are essential for later STEM pathways and careers.”

“Designing and delivering our STEM Engineering Programme in partnership with Pearson Engineering has been an absolute joy”, said the Eagles women’s head coach and STEM project leader Chloe Gaynor.

“The pupils and staff at the schools we have delivered to have really thrown themselves into the challenge, and there have been some marvellous and imaginative creations.”

Part two of the workshop has the students take their designs to the build stage with no instructions and just a basic selection of materials, including lollypop sticks, cupcake cases, elastic bands, paper straws and pipe cleaners.

Students have enough equipment to build something, but depending on their designs, it will become important to continue working with other groups or to trade sponsorship opportunities with their teachers for expertise from Pearson Engineering. After building their court it is then presented to the group, teachers and Eagles players.

”Being able to talk about the business side of sport, from sponsorship to arena design, as well as how to productively work as a team to achieve a common goal, have been our main areas of focus,” Gaynor added.

“The students working together have led to very positive outcomes, not only with the ideas that different groups came up with, but also with regard to the continued learning post the challenge.”