The EPro8 Challenge is an engineering and problem solving race. Every year over 10,000 students from 900 schools throughout New Zealand take part.

.eams compete to:

• build large sized structures
• solve practical problems
• engineer using pulleys, motors, gears, wheels and axles
• invent machines that can complete simple tasks
• undertake unusual and fun experiments.
• construct basic electronic circuits.
• solve interesting problems using practical maths

Each team of four is based at a workstation containing an impressive assortment of easy to use parts and equipment. The three-hour event begins with a tutorial on the equipment teams will be using.

Teams will then be given a booklet containing a number of challenges - all the challenges are of an entertaining physical nature. They will then choose which challenges they wish to undertake. The harder the challenge, the more points it is worth. There is not enough time to finish all the challenges - so strategy is required to know which ones to go for.

When teams have completed a challenge they push the 'big red button'. They will then be judged and the points will be added to the live leader-board.

Heats will be held throughout New Zealand. The top teams from each heat qualify for the regional semifinals and a regional grand final. The winning team will be crowned the region's EPro8 Challenge Champion.

The Christchurch heats were held on Tuesday 6 August from 4.45 - 9.00pm.

Year 9 Team: Team name: Cereal Killers

• Jack Dennehy-Coles
• Jonty Dodd
• Lucas Wieblitz
• Taylor Fahey

Year 10 Team: Team name: e-LEMON-ators'

• Deagan Agnew
• Gregor Ceagh
• Ben McSweeney
• Rewi Wang 

The teams were tasked with completing a series of difficult engineering projects within a time limit of three hours. Team work and the ability to problem solve were the key skill components involved in this difficult competition, however, the e-LEMON-ators, had the helpful advantage of past competition experience. They took the lead on points just 30 minutes into the challenge and held onto that first-place position only until the final 15 minutes when a late surge by their competitors, the Blue Team, pipped them at the final post. A great performance however, and they will still head to the finals at Canterbury University to represent St Bede's College.

The inexperienced Year 9 team struggled in the beginning of the competition with a task and failed to make up the ground later in the competition. They were however fantastic competitors and had great fun working together to build some amazing structures. They gained valuable engineering experience, and will no doubt come back next year to challenge for the title.

See the link below for more information:

EPro8 https://epro8challenge.co.nz/