Year 10 students got the chance to build a hypothetical data centre earlier this month with the help of the combined might of our Digital Futures Programme partners when they took part in a Challenge Day.
In an activity compiled by VIRTUS Data Centres, Year 10 students enjoyed a full scenario day on November 2, which challenged them to ‘Build a Data Centre’. The object was to get the students to gain greater understanding of what goes into a data centre, enabling them to run all the applications we are so used to having at the click of a button.
Around forty students were split into four groups, with a representative from each of our other data centre partners helping each team within the groups to carry out three activities.
Activity 1 – Where to build a Data Centre
Students had four choices to research and chose from the following:
- Marfu, Gran Canaria
- Montpellier, France
- San Marino, Italy
- Lulea, Sweden
Activity 2 – What equipment
The second activity was to research and choose the equipment that goes into a data centre.
Activity 3 – Create
The third activity was to put this all together and create a 2D model of the data centre with all equipment identified.
When completed, the students were asked to present back to the whole class, teachers and partners for five minutes on the reasons for their choices.
Congratulations to the winning team: UTC Data Centres who won a VIP tour of one of VIRTUS’s new data centres.
Commenting on the day, Pat McLaughlin, Operations Standards Manager VIRTUS, said:
“During the Challenge Day the students were introduced to the objectives, what the whole day was about and the outcome. They were asked to build a data centre, researching where, what and how, and to then create a presentation of all their findings. It was a big challenge for the students and some jumped straight in and some struggled, which is where the students jumped in to support to help them enjoy the day and more importantly, work as a team and core communication to achieve the goal. Overall, each team presented in front of all the students, partners and teachers, which is a great achievement.”
