Dear Teacher
Happy New Year! Welcome to the Spring edition of STEM news, highlighting lots of opportunities for yourself and your students to take part in STEM activities. We are happy to talk through any of the opportunities on this list, just get in touch at
Events for Students
Events for Teachers
Grants
EVENTS FOR STUDENTS:
Your Green Future
Nuffield Research Placements
Big Bang South West
British Science Week
I’m a Scientist, I’m an Engineer
Robots vs. Animals
Apprenticeship Open Evening
STEM Clubs Week
All Aboard Competition
Maths Inspiration Lectures
Your Green Future
University of Gloucestershire, Park Campus, 25th and 26th June
Students (age 13-19) have the opportunity to work with over 30 businesses, exploring career opportunities in a low carbon, resilient future. Interactive activities are suitable for all curriculum subjects and designed to build personal, social and life skills. Places are free, find out more and book at or email
Student Placement: Nuffield Research Placements
Year 12 students can apply for 4-6 week research placements over the summer, where they have the opportunity to work with scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians to conduct their own research-based project. Students who have been in receipt of Free School Meals may be eligible for a bursary. For more information contact
Big Bang Fair South West, Exeter University – 25th June 2015
Featuring explosive theatre shows and engaging, immersive activities, the Fair is more than just a great day out; it’s an opportunity to meet some of the South West’s leading scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, and to discover how school subjects can lead to fantastic, rewarding careers. All for free! To register, visit .
British Science Week, 13th -22nd March
British Science Week (formerly National Science and Engineering Week) is a great opportunity to get your students excited about STEM. Check out the website for events, activity ideas and resources to download:
If you’d like to discuss your ideas with us and the possibility of STEM Ambassadors supporting your activities, please get in touch!
I’m a Scientist, I’m an Engineer
I'm a Scientist and I'm an Engineer will be running during British Science Week this March to get your classroom buzzing with real science and engineering.
For two weeks between the 9th and 20th March, your students will be able to ask questions to, and take part in live text-based chats with real scientists and engineers in the free, online events. Students then vote for their favourite to win £500 to spend on further STEM engagement.
The online nature of the event helps to give all students a voice, and encourages students to ask the questions they might not be confident asking in front of the whole class.
You can find out more information and apply at the links below; the deadline to take part in the March event is Monday 26th January. Once you've applied, you'll get an email asking how many classes you would like, and in which zone.
I'm a Scientist
More information and apply: imascientist.org.uk/teachers
Full list of zones running in March:imascientist.org.uk/2014/12/march-2015-zones
I'm an Engineer
More information and apply: imanengineer.org.uk/teachers
Full list of zones running in March:imanengineer.org.uk/2014/12/march-2015-zones
If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact Josh at , or 01225 326 892.
Robots vs Animals Zoo visit – Bristol Zoo, 25th February, 5th March *new date*, 18th March, 21st April 2015. The Bristol Robotics Lab have teamed up with Bristol Zoo to create unique sessions for Year 8/9 students. Zoo staff and robotics engineers will teach the students about biomimicry and how robotics research can learn from studying animals. Students will get to interact with a range of animals and cutting edge robotics research as they decide which are better, robots or animals?! For more information:
Robots vs Animals competition - Key Stages 2-5 are invited to design their own animal-inspired robot to win robotics prizes for their school or STEM club. Students answer the challenge “What amazing animal ability would you use to design a useful robot?” The competition is aimed at encouraging creativity and inspiring nature-lovers to engage with engineering. Designs can be drawn, described (or made!). The closing date is 18th May 2015. Winning designs will be exhibited at the Festival of Nature in Bristol, June 2015. For more information:
SpiraxSarcoApprenticeship Open Evening
Local engineering company SpiraxSarco are having an open evening on Thursday 5th February at 6.30, which is open to students who are interested in finding out about apprenticeship opportunities at the company. Teachers are invited to attend the evening. For more details and to book please go to
STEM Clubs Week 2nd-6th February
STEM Clubs Week is for all secondary schools throughout the UK. For those schools already with a STEM Club will ideally meet as normal and take part in a national celebration of STEM Clubs. For those schools that don’t currently have a STEM Club, then it is an ideal opportunity to set one up and get started with some exciting national involvement.
The theme for STEM Clubs Week is Celebrating Diversity and resources will be available that teachers can use for any kind of STEM Club. STEM Clubs will also be able to create their own activities within the theme. Find resources, competitions and inspiration at:
STEM Clubs Competition
There will be an opportunity for all STEM Clubs (new and old!) to enter a national competition to win £200 of vouchers for their STEM Club. STEM Clubs will be invited to email details of their activities to with images or videos of their STEM Club activity carried out in STEM Clubs Week. Prizes will be awarded for the more creative approach to the following:
·Most unusual activity
·Best activity involving the most people
·Best all-STEM activity (cross STEM departments)
Entries will be judged on the photos, videos and 50 word description sent in to us.
All the photos and videos sent to us will be made into a gallery and put on the STEM Clubs website for schools to showcase their work.
All Aboard Competition
The All Aboard Competition is run by the Transport System’s Catapult on behalf of the Department for Transport. The Challenge is for students aged 14-18 years old to come up with innovative solutions to make buses more accessible for people with visual or hearing impairments. There are exciting prizes and the chance to go to the National Big Bang Fair. The closing date is 13th February. For more information go to
Maths Inspiration
The popular Maths Inspiration lectures return to the Bristol Hippodrome on Monday 23rd March. The interactive lectures are aimed at Sixth Form students and able Year 11s. Tickets are £7.50 each. For more information and to book please go to
EVENTS FOR TEACHERS
STEM Planning
Ambassadors into STEM Clubs
Teacher Placements
Free Geosciences Training
STEM Planning and Embedding
Over the past year we have worked with a number of schools to develop their STEM Plan for the year or their STEM Clubs plan. This takes the pressure of any one teacher having to plan everything themselves. Below is an example plan that we wrote with one school. Please get in touch if you would like your own plan developed.
Term 1 / Term 2 / Term 3 / Term 4 / Term 5 / Term 6Space/Astronomy / Technology / Longer Project e.g. Go4SET / Forensics / Energy/Fuel
Meteorite activity
Telescopes
Rockets
NASA resources
Challenges of life in space (air, temp, food)
Space Engineering
Weather balloon
Exo planets / Cyber Security Challenge
Robotics
3D Printing
Communication
Code Breaking (GCHQ/Science Museum) / Team working project that will be judged at the end. To include development of core skills e.g. team working, project management, time management
Examples of projects:
Go4SET
Flying Start Challenge
Faraday Challenges
STEM Challenges
BP STEM Challenge
Space Settlement / Fingerprinting
Hair/Fibre/Pollen Analysis
Handwriting and Chromatography
Power residues
DNA Fingerprinting (including ethics)
Imprint analysis
Ballistics / Electricity production
Green energy and biofuels
Burning Stuff
Fractional distillation
Hydrogen power
Magnox Board Game
STEM Ambassadors:
Physics specialists (EDF, GCHQ and enthusiasts), Engineers / STEM Ambassadors:
GCHQ, Renishaw, Robotics Ambassadors,
BT Ambassadors / STEM Ambassadors:
Teams are paired with Ambassadors from a local company / STEM Ambassadors:
Chemistry and Physics Ambassadors / STEM Ambassadors:
EDF, Magnox, Delphi Diesels, Chemistry & Physics Ambassadors, Engineers
We are keen to encourage companies to build relationships with their local schools, so developing a STEM Plan such as this helps to embed the STEM Ambassadors into school’s enrichment activities.
Ambassadors into STEM Clubs
We have recently had a number of Ambassadors contact us regarding working with school’s STEM Clubs (e.g. Science Club, Engineering Club, Technology Club etc.). The Ambassadors are often keen to work with clubs as often the most enthusiastic students attend. They can often mentor students through projects, judge projects, share their specialist knowledge or just lend a helping hand. Please get in touch to discuss how Ambassadors can support you club.
Teacher Industrial Partner’s Scheme (TIPS)
TIPS is a new joint initiative between education and industry that gives teachers an authentic experience of what takes place in modern engineering and technological organisations. Teachers will be placed in a local organisation for two weeks and get to experience many different parts of the business. The fee to take part is £360, but teachers from state-maintained schools can receive an ENTHUSE Award bursary of £1400 to help with supply costs. To find out more please go to .
FREE Training: Geoscience Education Academy 2015
Free training is being offered to all Science and Geography teachers to help support teaching in Geosciences. The course runs from 23rd-26th July in London, with accommodation and expenses being paid. For more information or to book please go to
GRANTS
Grants for Enriching STEM activities
The Ri and The Causeway Foundation are offering schools up to £500 to take part in an Enrichment and Enhancement (E&E) STEM activity from the STEM Directories before July 2015. This is an exciting opportunity for students to take part in a mathematics activity and help integrate mathematics enrichment in school practice. The Scheme is now open and the deadline for applications is 9th February 2015 at 5pm. For more information and to apply, visit the STEM Directories website.