Whilst we admire and acknowledge EVERYONE who participates in the Energy Breakthrough, there are some teams who have displayed extraordinary levels of determination, innovation and imagination.

Through our series of eight ‘Special Awards’, we salute those who have gone ‘above and beyond’ and admire their passion and energy. These Awards are rarely won by the biggest, the fastest or those first across the line, but through them we seek to encourage and reinforce the aims of the Energy Breakthrough, to encourage hands-on learning and teamwork.

McCulloch’s Engineering Prize for School-Based-Built Vehicles

For 2018, we are excited to announce a NEW award, sponsored by McCulloch’s Engineering in Bendigo, which aims to encourage and reward school-based design and construction.

The McCulloch’s Engineering Prize for School-Based-Built Vehicles will be open to teams of students in Year 7 to Year 12, entered in the HPV and EEV categories. Vehicles constructed by commercial or professional builders will be excluded from consideration for this Award and teams will be invited to self-nominate themselves for consideration for this Award during Design & Construction assessment.

This Award will recognise a team who has built the majority of their vehicle at school and completed at least 500km during the 24-hour trial. The winner will be chosen by a judging panel.

The McCulloch Connection

The leadership team at McCulloch’s Engineering have had a long-standing personal respect and connection with the Energy Breakthrough. Over the past twenty years, many of the McCulloch family and their staff have either directly participated or supported local schools in their efforts. They have loved the ‘hands-on’ nature of the challenge, combined with the teamwork and the trial elements.

Build Vs Buy

We at the Energy Breakthrough are well aware of the significant trend away from schools ‘building’ to schools ‘buying’ vehicles over the past decade, and we are also very aware of the factors behind this trend, too.

These factors include increasing pressure on teacher time, reducing program budgets, changes to the way technology is taught in schools, the retirement of the many of previous generation’s highly skilled ‘Trade/Tech’ teachers, and even ‘school marketing’ pressures to ‘win’ or to have the ‘sleekest’ vehicle on the grid.

We hope that with the introduction of this Award that we can – in a small way – continue to encourage and recognise the effort, innovation and hands-on learning of students.

Special Awards

But what about the seven other Awards on offer? What do they mean? And what is their history?

Well, we’re glad you asked! Here’s our summary of Special Awards on offer:

Energy Breakthrough Safety Award

Energy Breakthrough is committed to safety and It Is a priority in everything we do.

This Award recognises a team that has met all the safety requirements in their design and construction processes and therefore presented a vehicle that protects their riders or other participants.

M.R. Recumbents Encouragement Award

M.R. Recumbents (and before them Greenspeed) have been supporting a school each year that overcomes a great deal of adversity in the lead up to – and during the – Energy Breakthrough.

This Award recognises a school that has overcome significant challenges to participate in the Energy Breakthrough.

Tricia Walsh Encouragement Award

A passionate and active member of Maryborough community, Tricia Walsh was a driving force in leading the Innovations In Technology category and a volunteer across various roles for over 15 years before she sadly passed away in 2012.

Tricia had wonderful networks in Maryborough and across the region throughout education, adult and further education, arts and local businesses. She played a significant role in publicity and promotion of the event and took every opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding work of students, teachers and parents.

This is an Encouragement Award – as Tricia believed the event wasn’t about winning – she preferred to encourage participation.

Judy Parker Award for the Best First Year School

Judy Parker was part of the Country Education Partnership when the Energy Breakthrough was conceived way back in 1990. She was passionate about engaging new and rural schools into the project.

This Award recognises the best performing first year school across all primary and secondary categories.

Austin7 Club Innovation Award

The Austin7 Club are dedicated to encouraging the next generation and supporting innovative vehicle design.

This Award recognises a team which has created an outstanding innovation in the HPV or EEV categories.

Bruce Reiffel Award for the Best Small Primary School

Bruce Reiffel was a local teacher at Maryborough Education Centre who dedicated himself to encouraging and supporting small schools enter the program. He was a tireless worker, always helping young people to build better vehicles, prepare themselves for the event and was always willing to help the smaller schools. He understood education and he understood the ‘Breakthrough’. Bruce Reiffel sadly passed away in 2005.

This Award recognises the best performing HPV team from a primary school with an enrolment of less than 200 students.

Ian Rogerson Award for the Best Display & Presentation

Ian ‘Rogo’ Rogerson was a lifelong educator and the first Coordinator of the Display & Presentation section of the Event.

This Award recognises the schools with the highest Display & Presentation scores across all primary and secondary categories.

McCulloch’s Engineering Prize for School-Based-Built Vehicles

The McCulloch’s Engineering Prize aims to encourage and reward school-based design and construction. Use of commercially or professionally designed vehicles is not allowed in this Award which is open to students in Year 7 to Year 12 entered in the HPV and EEV categories.

This Award recognises a team who has built the majority of their vehicle at school and completed at least 500km during the 24 hour trial. Teams will be invited to self-nominate themselves for consideration for this Award during Design & Construction assessment. The winner will be chosen by a judging panel.