Volvo cars commitment to boost creativity, innovation, talent, teamwork, communication and problem solving among children with the Volvo initiative. This is a project that uses technology as a tool to promote road safety in the fifth and sixth grade classes.
This initiative will celebrate its second edition, in the Community of Madrid, during the first and second quarter of the 2013-14 academic year and focuses on three activities: Stop & Go workshop, he network challenge and the closing ceremony. The applied methodology guides students through a constructive and motivating learning experience. As it is a fully subsidized project, participation in the project is free, and the educational center that is interested in the Volvo Initiative only has to request their participation by completing the registration form.
He Stop & Go Workshop It lasts one hour, is done in the educational center and is about building, programming and starting a vehicle that avoids accidents. For this the materials of Lego Education.
He network challenge It is a collaborative work where students have to imagine and design a vehicle that allows a safe driving, without accidents, that protect people and be environmentally sustainable. Teachers and students will have Volvo work guides and advice and all the remains will be published online. Also at the closing ceremony, a fragment of last year's can be seen below, the best works will be rewarded. And the Challenge winners will be able to visit the Volvo vehicle center in Barcelona which can be a very interesting prize to awaken vocations and illusions.
Last year, 2,500 Madrid children participated and became automotive engineers for two months. Among the participants the initiative triumphed Anti-roll tipping system, in the image, of the Colegio San Jaime, which won as Best network challenge. Manuel Rodríguez, one of the authors, explained what the project consisted of: "If in a sharp curve, for example, you turn to go fast, shock absorbers will be deployed that will stop the fall and push to put the car straight." Other awards were suction cups on wheels to avoid skating on rainy days or a vehicle that triggers harpoons in case of rushing down a curve.
Last year the jury selected four winners in the categories of: best network challenge, most innovative challenge, most popular challenge Y most participatory school following the criteria of originality and creativity in the solution provided. They also valued the quality of visual support and popularity because Internet votes were taken into account.
We congratulate Volvo for its initiative because it is very interesting to see how this company takes advantage of the creative potential of children and the application of Lego technology in learning. And of course, he values his experience and knowledge as a stimulus and challenge for children without losing focus on security.
