Rapid were delighted to be one of the companies 'Highly Commended' in the recent Electronics Industry Awards. We received recognition in the 'Academic Support' category.
This means a great deal to us since this has been a year of unprecedented challenges for the education sector. As a supplier and supporter of educational initiatives and competitions, such as VEX Robotics and VEX IQ, and as a company that works closely with schools, colleges and universities, Rapid was affected like everyone else.
The coronavirus outbreak curtailed our outreach workshops, product demonstrations and exhibition bookings almost overnight.
But during the pandemic we have still tried to support parents and teachers with home learning initiatives, such as our
6-Week STEAM Challenge, in which we worked with major brands like Arduino, VEX, Shape Robotics and Bare Conductive to set students a challenge which could be completed without any resources other than those that were freely available online.
In the early weeks of the pandemic we also tried to
help the many schools that were using their 3D printers and laser cutting machines to make face shields and PPE for the healthcare industry and those on the frontline against the virus. We donated materials like acetate and polypropylene sheets, and
helped supply the team from University College London that was developing breathing aids for Covid-19 patients.
"We are delighted to have been recognised in this way”, says Jennifer King, Rapid’s Product Manager for Education. “It has been an incredibly challenging year for the academic sector but we have done all we can to continue supporting education. The response we received from the 6-Week Challenge was phenomenal. What was abundantly clear is that students and teachers were looking for this kind of stimulation as they acclimatised to learning from home. Of course we hope that some kind of normality can return in the near future but we will continue to adapt to changing ways of learning and schooling.”
The awards were hosted online by CIE magazine. Rapid was also shortlisted in the Distributor of the Year category.
