We were delighted to welcome Year 9 students from across Guildford to take part in the SATRO Planet Utopia workshop, hosted in collaboration with the West Surrey Schools Partnership. Students from Guildford County School, George Abbot, Broadwater, Tormead, and RGS came together for a day of creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
The Planet Utopia workshop, developed by SATRO, challenges students to imagine life on a newly discovered planet with a climate similar to Earth’s. Working in mixed-school teams, students were tasked with designing a sustainable utopian city from the ground up. This included developing a community structure, debating and voting on laws, selecting essential professionals for their new society, and drawing up a manifesto that reflected their shared values and vision.
Throughout the day, students explored real-world challenges such as energy production, food systems, and infrastructure. They engaged with new technologies and considered how these could be integrated into their futuristic cities. A highlight of the workshop was the hands-on engineering challenge, where teams built and tested working wind turbines using K’NEX and card, applying principles of design and aerodynamics to create efficient energy solutions.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for students to develop key skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and leadership. It also encouraged them to think critically about sustainability, ethics, and the role of different careers in shaping a thriving society.
The level of engagement, creativity, and mutual respect shown by all participants was truly inspiring. Thoughtful discussions led to innovative ideas and impressive structures, reflecting the students’ ability to collaborate across schools and backgrounds. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and grateful to SATRO for delivering such a dynamic and impactful experience.
Students feedback about the day was incredibly positive – they found the day to be engaging, collaborative and interactive.
“Working with my peers was fun, we all bonded over specific books and had a great time.”
“I most enjoyed meeting people from other schools”
“It was so much fun working with my peers, we should do it more often!”
“I liked meeting new people and working with those who I didn’t know. I would normally just work with my friends, so it was a good experience.”
“Meeting new people was a little awkward at first but then, through teamwork and determination, we worked together well.”
“Planet Utopia was an exciting new experience, thoroughly enjoyable.”
“It was methodical & fun. I really enjoyed, designing the city and voting for the laws.”
