Girls into STEM | lab13network

A blog posted elsewhere about STEM and Widening Participation activities within the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton.

Reposted from Girls into STEM | lab13network: "Girls into STEM
Posted on December 19, 2012 by lab13network



The University of Northampton ran a very exciting day for Northamptonshire girls last week. The Inspire Girls into STEM day consisted of many workshops, talks and interactive elements.

Tricia, the UoN STEM Diversity organiser, needed demonstrators for the workshops to inspire the girls to consider a career in STEM. And who better to inspire the girls than our Year 6 Committee girls Fran, Jess and Chloe. The three Lab_13ers ran two workshops and wowed the girls, their teachers and other adult demonstrators with their confidence, inspiring enthusiasm and wonderful hands-on experience.

Jess says “It was great to inspire the younger girls and to show them that you don’t have to be a grownup to enjoy science!”

Fran says “I can’t believe my first paying job was teaching when I was 10!”

Chloe says “I wish I could do this every day!”"

'via Blog this'

Details of other links between the School of Science and Technology and Irchester Community Primary School /Lab_13 can be found at:

• Dad's Lab
• Greenfoot

From more details about Lab_13 can be found at: http://lab13network.wordpress.com/ 

School helps Primary School with Computing Problem

A member of the School of Science and Technology helped a local primary school look at ways they could add some programming into some of their ICT lessons. The Greenfoot software (http://www.greenfoot.org/overview) and tutorials (http://www.greenfoot.org/doc) were used to demonstrate some possible ways this could be done. This type of activity is similar various people are trying around the country to persuade children that programming is fun and not as hard as some people may tell them (see Coding for kids is as easy as Pi  for another example)


This Greenfoot work forms part of the on-going out-reach activities the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton is actively working in partnerships with schools. Other examples include:

• Junkbots
• Outreach during Science and Engineering Week 2012
• Girls into Engineering summary
• BeSwitched On - Taster Day for computing
• Dancing robots

For more details on any of these please contact Dr Scott Turner

Outreach- Science and Engineering week 2012

Several outreach activities were produced for National Science and Engineering Week 2012 by the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton.

Engineering:

The Department of Engineering  provided a week of events to mark National Science & Engineering week 2012 including several outreach activities

• 13th March 2012 "Move forward with Engineering Day" - an event to showcase the opportunities in engineering both for HE and employment to schools.
• 14th March 2012 hosting the Rotary Technology Tournament to promote science and engineering to school children.

Outreach

View more PowerPoint from Scott Turner

South End Primary School
On 12th March 2012 a team from the School went to South End Infant school to deliver a range of activities to year 1 and 2 students including:

• an introduction to engineering;
• robot exercises;
• junkbots;
• leather science. 

Roade Primary School
On 16th March 2012 junkbots went to Roade Primary School. Where robots from junk were made by year 6 students.