February University of Galway hosts free Family Fun Day for Engineers Week 2023

University of Galway is calling all wannabe engineers to participate in a free family event ‘Engineering Our Future: Family Fun Day.

The Family Fun Day takes place on Saturday March 4 from 10am–4pm in the Alice Perry Engineering Building on the University campus.

Organised as part of Engineers Week 2023, which celebrates engineering across Ireland, the event will provide plenty of science and engineering shows, movie screenings, workshops and hands-on activities that will inspire both the young and the old.

Families can attend two movie screenings - Dream Big: Engineering Our World and John Phillip Holland: Submarine Inventor.

Dream Big: Engineering Our World is narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges. The documentary celebrates the human creativity behind engineering marvels big and small, from the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings to underwater robots, solar cars and smart, sustainable cities, and show how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected and amazing ways.

John Phillip Holland: Submarine Inventor delves into the life of a revolutionary Irish engineer, who was behind the first fully functioning modern submarine.

Professor Jamie Goggins, School of Engineering at University of Galway, said: “Children are natural engineers. They love to design and build things, using whatever they can get their hands on. With knowledge, innovation and creativity, engineers change the reality and future of all human beings. We want to see as many families join us for the day-long events to help mark and celebrate Engineers Week and explore engineering through exciting and fun, hands-on activities and shows, as well as meeting with practising engineers to better learn about the world around us, understand the role of engineering in our lives and its impact on our future.”

Among the events at University of Galway Engineering Our Future: Family Fun Day are:

:: Young and older attendees can engage with the ‘Eccentric Energy Show’ show with Dr Naomi Lavelle from the award winning science website Dr How’s Science Wows. There will be balls bouncing, sticks leaping, fireworks popping and toilet rolls flying all over the place!

This is an interactive show, aiming to get the audience as hands-on as possible while they learn about all the different types of energy, what wacky things we can do with them and how they are transferred. To finish it all off you can watch Dr How set her custom-built Eccentric Energy Machine in motion and see how many different types of energy will be used to pop one single balloon.

:: In ‘Fun Fantastic Physics’ show by Anyone4Science, children will use physics to do unbelievable things - escape from jail, make a mechanism to lift an adult, sit comfortably on a bed of nails, stand on balloons, see if they are full of hot air, make a teabag fly and much more!

:: Families are encouraged to come and build their own wind turbine, investigate the fantastic DNA with Cell Explorers, have fun with 3D printing, explore bicycle mechanics with An Mheitheal Rothar, build a biomaterial using slime, see the world differently through cameras, explore the GEEC: Galway Energy Efficient Car, free-play in LEGO play area or learn about our rich engineering heritage.

:: Attendees can practice their driving and hazard perception skills on state-of the art car, motorbike or bicycle simulators provided by Road Safety Authority.

:: For the first time this year, there will be a sensory room available for our youngest engineers and all those who would like some timeout in peace and quiet.

These and many other activities showing the world of civil, environmental, mechanical, biomedical, electronic, energy systems and computer engineering will be available on the day.

All details about the Family Fun Day available at www.universityofgalway.ie/engineersweek

Tickets are free and they can be booked for some shows in advance through the website.

Families are also advised that they can turn up on the day, on a first come, first served, basis.

For further information on ‘Engineering Our Future: Family Fun Day’ contact jamie.goggins@universityofgalway.ie

william.finnegan@universityofgalway.ie

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