Raytheon Australia recently delivered problem solving training to 60 Year Nine students at Aberfoyle Park High School in Adelaide, through an applied course in Raytheon Six Sigma™.

The training was delivered as part of Raytheon Australia's commitment to promoting maths, science and engineering learning in the community.

The students, who are part of the school’s ‘Ignite’ program for talented children, were presented with a scenario where a pretend NASA space program called ‘Project Aqua’ had encountered some major issues. The students were divided into project teams and advised that they were Program Managers, Engineers, Scientists or Technicians, and they had to work together in their team roles to resolve the issues.

Over a period of three weeks the students identified root causes and solutions that involved re-engineering and quality control of a joining pin inside a lunar module’s booster rocket, testing a software tool to calculate the correct maths equation for the burn rate required to land on the Moon, and implementing control procedures to minimise the risk of damage to the space shuttle on launch.

Feedback from the students and the teachers has been excellent. As Alan Phelps, the school Principal said, “Students and staff were very impressed! Teachers from a variety of faculties, not just Maths and Science, visited the course and took away valuable learning. Students were rapt with the program and, importantly, could clearly and specifically articulate their learning as it related to teamwork, R6s, quality, and Maths and Science.”