The new IET Faraday® Challenge reimagines our much-loved engineering challenge days with a more flexible, accessible, and future-focused model.
Designed for young people aged 10 to 15 years, the updated programme introduces students to real-world engineering through creativity, critical thinking and hands-on problem solving.
Like before, students act as engineers for the day with budgeting, designing, and building a prototype solution to an industry-inspired challenge before presenting their ideas to judges. The experience builds ownership, independence, resilience, and self-belief, giving every participant the chance to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
The new model offers even greater flexibility for educators in and out of the classroom. The IET Faraday® Challenge can be delivered in school, after school, or in community settings, as a single full-day activity or broken into shorter sessions over time. A briefing video from real engineers sets the scene, and students get to design and make a working prototype of their ideas earning Industrial Cadets Bronze accreditation for taking part.
The programme has been redesigned to reach more young people by removing barriers such as timetable constraints and limited availability.
Schools now have the flexibility to run the challenge when it suits them and involve as many students as they choose. Sponsors and partners play an essential role in helping us expand to more schools globally including those in underserved communities.
The refreshed IET Faraday® Challenge retains its core mission: to inspire the next generation of engineers, give them a meaningful taste of real engineering, and spark curiosity in STEM pathways that could shape their futures.
While we prepare to launch this exciting new programme, why not try the IET Faraday® DIY Challenge? It’s a fun, flexible way to bring real‑world engineering into your classroom or community setting right now.
Run your own IET Faraday® DIY Challenge with our free resources today!
