Students from across the UK have brought the spirit of the Olympics to their doorsteps by planning exciting and inspiring sporting events using maths and science. By showcasing their innovative ideas, eight schools have secured a place in the STEM Challenge 10 Final, the last competition in a successful series ahead of London 2012.

Cisco and STEMNET challenged students to consider the venue, location, sport, resources, facilities and equipment to plan a large scale, accessible and sustainable event in their home area.

Nearly 200 UK state-maintained secondary school teams took on the Maths and Science 2012 Challenge and were put through a rigorous regional judging process. Eight teams stood out to reach the finals.

The Finalists!

• All Hallows Catholic High School, Lancashire
• Angley School, Kent and Medway
• Kendrick School, Surrey and rest of Berkshire
• Perins School, Hampshire and Isle of Wight
• South Axholme School, Humberside
• The Elton High School, Greater Manchester
• The Gryphon School, Wiltshire, Swindon and Dorset
• Woodham Community Technology College, County Durham and Tees Valley

These teams will present a Dragon’s Den style pitch to a panel of expert judges on 6 July at Cisco House, London, overlooking the Olympic Park in Stratford. The winning team will receive £2500 for their school’s STEM club, eight tickets for Olympic Hockey and London 2012 merchandise.

STEM Challenge 10 forms part of Cisco’s Out of the blocks project which gives schools the chance to explore the events and venues of London 2012 whilst practising maths and science skills. More information about the Out of the blocks Maths and Science Series 2012 project can be found at www.mathsandscience2012.co.uk.