Storm Larsen was one of a total of four winners of this year's natural science competition organised by Statoil. This year's topic was energy solutions of the future.
He says that the trip prize was a great motivation in his work on the science tasks which he carried out in his spare time in addition to his ordinary home work.
Challenging assignments
The other three winners cooperated on a group project, and found that the teamwork made the assignment easier and more motivating.
They had found out about the competition through a magazine advertisement. In addition to applying what they had learned in school, they sought feedback from various subject experts.
Fredrik Lange Fjell (left), Statfjord A safety manager, Christopher Storm Larsen, student at Kristiansand upper secondary school Gimle, Einar Johan Ruud, student at Mandal upper secondary school, and mathematics teacher Maren Klemetsen Grindstad.
"One of us has an older brother who works as a seismologist, and we also spoke with someone who has a PhD in mathematics," says Einar Johan Ruud (17) from Mandal upper secondary school. "It was very informative, and we had to spend a good amount of time on the assignment since it was quite comprehensive. Some of the tasks required a lot of reflection."
Science takes many paths
The youths found the platform visit – and especially the round-trip helicopter ride – to be exciting. They were eager to ask the platform personnel about their backgrounds and the on board activities.
"It was interesting to see that the platform crew have such different backgrounds," says Kristian Lans Syvertsen (18) from Mandal. "I'd thought that the activities on the platform itself involved more physical work, but many of the tasks are carried out by machines. I don't think that many people realise all of the possibilities a science education can offer."
Boosting motivation
Three science teachers also went on the offshore trip, and they confirm that Statoil's natural science award has enhanced the motivation of both students and teachers.
"We didn't know about this competition before this year, but in the future we will encourage more students to participate," says Mandal upper secondary school mathematics teacher Stein Aanensen. "This project fits perfectly with the new technology and research subject at our school."