900 school children descend on Imperial for science summer schools - <em>News release</em>
For immediate release
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Around 900 young people aged eight to 18 are experiencing a taste of university life at Imperial College London this summer, thanks to science summer schools designed to raise the aspirations of young people from families with no experience of higher education.
The schools give pupils a chance to get the kind of hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects that many state schools are not able to offer. Run in partnership with the education provider Exscitec, they are also an opportunity for school students to spend time on a university campus, find out more about life as a university student and meet Imperial academics and students. Data from 2008/2009 shows that 62% of students studying at Imperial come from state schools.
Visiting pupils get the opportunity to design and build robot athletes in a mechanised Olympics, develop parachutes to try and protect eggs in 50 foot test drops, and watch demonstrations involving liquid nitrogen, in order to learn scientific principles such as the behaviour of matter and forces in nature. Older students have the opportunity to understand more about science at a university level with courses that include astrophysics, medical sciences, chemistry synthesis and mathematical game theory.
Mel Thody, Head of Outreach at Imperial, says:
“We’re very keen to increase the number of state school students we have at Imperial, especially from underrepresented groups. One serious issue we face is that many state schools just don’t have the resources to bring some of the more exciting aspects of STEM subjects into the classroom and therefore young people get the impression that these areas would be too dull to study at university level, or that they are too hard to get into.
“We hope young people leave our summer schools with the idea that science is exciting, and that a degree in a STEM subject could be for them, and is well worth studying hard for at school.”
This year’s programme sees a range of activities taking place in Imperial’s new Reach Out Lab, championed by Lord Robert Winston, Imperial’s Professor of Science and Society. The lab is a high tech, multidisciplinary space specifically built to enable schoolchildren to experience hands-on science activities at the College’s main South Kensington Campus. Also new for this year are Primary Science days, allowing primary school aged children the chance to watch and participate in demonstrations relating to basic science.
Mel adds: “We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience we can offer to young people. In the past we focused on secondary school pupils who are at the stage of thinking about their post 16 choices. With new elements, such as our Primary Science courses, we hope to nurture younger students’ natural curiosity about how the world around them works, to sustain a lasting interest in science.”
Also currently running on Imperial’s South Kensington Campus is the STEM World Summer School, which aims to demonstrate to young people internationally that science is stimulating and leads to excellent career opportunities. The programme specifically gives gifted and talented students, from the UK and around the world the chance to participate in a week or fortnight of their preferred activities, including Astrophysics, Chemistry, Forensic Science , Maths, Space Science and Robotics, and a course on marketing ideas and inventions. This year’s school also includes a medical science programme looking at issues of tropical diseases and immunology.
Video from last year's summer schools below:
The Outreach Office also organises other science activities all year round, such as demonstration lectures on campus, as well as providing visits to schools either to encourage aspirations or to provide mentoring and tutoring sessions by current students and with its project partners Exscitec it deliver hands-on activities year round in the Reach Out Lab.
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Notes to editors:
About the Outreach Office
Imperial College London's Outreach Office aims to encourage the most able students to apply to Imperial for undergraduate study, raise aspirations among school students to consider applying to higher education and inspire interest in studying science, engineering and medicine. It organises a range of projects targeting school pupils, including summer schools, science demonstrations and classroom mentoring programmes. In recent years this work has been supported and expanded through an operational partnership link with Exscitec - an organisation which develops programmes of activity for promotion of STEM education.
Website: //www3.imperial.ac.uk/outreach
About Exscitec
Exscitec develops programmes of activity for the promotion of STEM education, providing experiences for educators and young people to raise aspirations, improve attainment in STEM subjects and increase participation in STEM related careers.
Website: www.exscitec.com
About Imperial College London
Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.
Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.
In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK’s first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.
Website: www.imperial.ac.uk
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