BURMATEX STEM DAY

We were recently lucky enough to be invited to take part in a STEM workshop with local school children at Whitcliffe Mount High School near burmatex® HQ. The day was run by Ahead Partnership, a charity based in Leeds, as part of their ‘Make the Grade’ programme that links businesses with schools to give children an insight into our roles in industry. As 10-19 March was British Science Week, our aim was to highlight the use of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) within our world of carpet design and manufacturing. As product designers, science, technology, engineering and maths are part of everyday life and it is the combination of creative design and logical thinking that makes a product attractive, feasible for mass production and successful.

The workshop we ran started with a tactile introduction to carpet fibres and product development, which was then followed by a group task. To each group we gave a company brief, a gridded floor plan and a selection of burmatex sample cards. We asked the children to design a floor installation that they thought would be suitable for the company brief and present their ideas back to the class at the end. It was great to see how engaged the children were with the task and how they worked together in teams. Their reaction to colour and trends was impressive and even the less creative of the group found their place with working out the maths!