The event is organised by educational charity, The Smallpeice Trust, and sponsored by the Institution and Coventry University. Alfred Gand, director of the event, explains more.
The course, running for the 9th consecutive year, has inspired close to 450 budding engineers with practical knowledge by challenging them to design, build and test model bridges.
This year’s event ran from 15 to 18 July at Coventry University. Forty young and enthusiastic budding structural engineers took part, coming from across the UK and from Belgium. The participants, aged 16 and 17, gained a unique insight into the fundamentals of structural materials and behaviour, including pressures, stresses and strains.
The course was designed to be engaging, with sessions ranging from structural engineering concepts and fundamentals, freehand sketching and Google Sketchup and bridge engineering.
参与者还开发了团队合作，沟通，解决问题和时间管理等基本技能和能力。
参与者表现出了极大的能源，热情和奉献精神。他们的结构概念和桥梁模型的发展展现了真正的想象力和创造力。
一如既往，我们始终致力于米德兰兹地区的机构成员支持：Paola Casagrande Mistructe（来自Ramboll），Prashant Sikka Distructe（来自Cundall），以及Harpreet Sidhu（来自WSP）都做好了伟大的工作判断最终的演示和测试模型桥梁。
运行这样的课程的最令人愉快的方面之一就是我们从学生那里获得的反馈。今年没有例外，并展示了课程帮助学生关注其职业野心的许多方式。
17 years old, from Ashtead
“I needed something for my CV and wanted to learn more about what structural engineering involves and if it is right for me. Building a bridge with a presentation was different. At school, we do not work in teams and build things.”
17 years old, from London
“My main interest is physics, and the idea of applying the principles in physics to create things is appealing to me. The course had more application of principles, and it was useful to learn more about CAD and sketching. I am planning to pursue engineering in general, but undecided on a specific field.”
16岁，来自爱丁堡
“我的妈妈想让我参加课程，听起来很有用。课程非常动手和有趣。该课程向我展示了工程学生的事物。“
17岁，来自Waahurst
“我进入了暑期学校，因为它有机会进一步进一步我的经验，也可以向大学的入学委员会证明我有愿望进行工程。与人们合作很有用来倾向他们的意见。我受到启发成为工程，因为能够设计和制造产品一直享有我的产品。“
17 years old, from Harpenden
“我真的很喜欢学习不同的建筑物，想要为自己建造一些，所以我的家人说我应该考虑成为工程师。对工程有共同的兴趣是辉煌的，这意味着我们沿着线路思考谎言母鸡规划桥梁设计。该课程在我的脑海中证实，民用/结构工程是我在大学学习的合适程度。“
Find information about similar courses on theSmallpeice Trust website.