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YESC Update October 2016
We hope you’ve enjoyed a relaxing break over the October holidays! We’re excited to share various updates and opportunities for the 1400+ schools in our ever-growing network.  Please share with colleagues including the Young Engineers/Science/STEM Club Leader and Science/Technical Departments.

Key: P - Primary  S - Secondary
YESC is turning 30!
To celebrate 30 years of Young Engineers and Science Clubs,  we’re looking to track down former Club members who are now working in the STEM sector. If you are in touch with any former pupils or know of any who have been inspired by your club to pursue a career in STEM please let us know yesc@scdi.org.uk
Construct a Crane! P&S  



Construct a Crane follows last year’s popular bridge building challenge: Go Forth! Primary and Secondary teams are tasked to design and build a functional crane. We are delighted to announce EnerMech as our first partner for this exciting project. The first 100 starter kits have been snapped up quickly so remember to register soon to get involved!

To apply for a kit, update your club’s information including current contact details on our short Registration/Update Form then use the Order Form to request your free Construct a Crane kit.

Teams will be invited to test their crane at one of our Regional or National Celebrations of Engineering and Science where prizes will be awarded.
British Science Week Grants
British Science Week runs from 10-19 March 2017.  Resources and challenge packs are available on the website alongside an opportunity for schools in challenging circumstances to apply for a grant of up to £700. Applications close on 21 November 2016 at 5pm.

More information and the application forms are available on the British Science Week website.
Check Out our Resources P&S                
Remember to browse our website for a range of cheap and cheerful projects for Primary and Secondary Clubs including the new STEM in a Shoebox and Mysterious Maths! Resource kits including Science on the Menu and I’m an Engineer, I can help here! are available to purchase using the Order Form.

We’ve also shared a selection of useful resources from other STEM providers including the British Science Association’s new 30 Inspirational Ideas booklet to celebrate 30 years of CREST awards. 
CAS Barefoot Computing P
Our team are now trained to deliver the CAS Barefoot workshops, supported by BT. We’re looking forward to introducing computational thinking and unplugged activities to schools, initially through our Digital Xtra funded Tweety Pi programme with BT Scotland in Orkney, Moray and Dumfries and Galloway. Teachers can find out more about the free Barefoot resources and request a free CPD workshop delivered by a volunteer through the website.  
Junior Saltire 2017 P&S
We hope this exciting renewable energy challenge will continue, and will update schools as soon as possible when we have confirmation from our partners Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Government for the 2017 competition – watch this space!
Barefoot in Business - Film and Trash Can Challenge! P&S 
(NB: Barefoot in Business is not related to Barefoot Computing)

Glasgow based company, Scrumptious Productions, have asked us to publicise an opportunity which may appeal to entrepreneurial clubs as well as Young Enterprise groups.  The Barefoot in Business film (45 minutes) profiles a number of Ugandan businesswomen as they compete for the prestigious Female Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.  Schools are invited to host a free screening on 15 November at 1pm and be part of a Simultaneous Film Screening World Record attempt.  Click to view the trailer.  If you would like to host a screening of the film, please complete the form here, remembering to quote “Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland” in the “How did you find out about us?” section.

One of the ladies featured in the film, Benedicta, makes a variety of products using recycled straws.  This got the YESC team thinking - can you be creative and make a useful product from recycled materials normally ending up in the waste bin in your home or school?  It may be straws, newspapers, cereal boxes, CDs, tin cans….the list is endless and there’s loads of ideas online.  We’d love to see your ideas at our Celebration events in March and June next year.
Big Bang UK Competition 2017
The Big Bang UK competition aims to build young people's skills and confidence in project-based work in all areas of STEM and celebrate these achievements.  It’s open to 11-18 year olds in the UK. The 2017 finals will take place 15-16 March at The NEC in Birmingham and online entries close 20 November 2016
Needing Advice or Support?
Maybe you have run into a problem with one of our projects or don’t know how to get started?  We are here to help so please email yesc@scdi.org.uk and we will be in touch.

You may also be able to source support from your local STEM Ambassador Hub. STEM Ambassadors are volunteers with passion and enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. They can support schools and clubs remotely to provide advice and support or could visit to deliver a presentation about their work or provide practical support with a project.

Your new Scottish STEM Ambassador Hub contacts are:

North Scotland (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands) managed by Aberdeen Science Centre. Contact Liz Hodge: liz.hodge@ASC.scot

West Scotland (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire) managed by Science Connects. Contact Aileen Hamilton: stem-ambassadors@glasgow.ac.uk  

East Scotland (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Lothian, Edinburgh City, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Perth & Kinross, Borders, Stirling, West Lothian) managed by STEM East. Contact Frank and Kevin McKeever: ambassadors@fife.ac.uk
STEM Bites
A team of 6 budding young engineers from Inveralmond Community High School, West Lothian represented Scotland in the F1 in Schools World Finals. Team Kinetikos travelled to Austin, Texas, to compete against teams from around the world. We’re delighted to hear they were placed 17th in the final and achieved the Team Identity Award, and the award for Best Pit Display.  Congratulations to the team!




Braeview Academy, Dundee, travelled to Rockingham to compete in the International Greenpower finals. The team was awarded the Best Presented Team award – well done to them!



Sir E Scott Primary School, Western Isles, has been invited to attend the Principia School Conference in York. The team will travel all the way from Harris to learn about Tim Peake’s Principia mission on the International Space Station and present their work on the topic.

We were inundated with requests for our small grant scheme for clubs (now closed).  Grants of up to £100 were awarded to support clubs across Scotland to get started and deliver various exciting projects including programming with Code Bugs at Forgandenny Primary, Microscopic investigations at Elphinstone Primary, K’Nex Challenges at Greenhills Primary, a CSI project at Renfrew High School and launching a teddy bear into space with the Minds Applying STEM Activities (MASA) group, Aberdeenshire. 

Orkney International Science Festival was a huge success. Our colleague Dave spent a busy few days working with schools around the Isles testing the pH of various locations, concluding that in general the water in Orkney is more alkaline than in most parts of Scotland.

We are continuing to deliver the Tomorrow’s Engineer’s Energy Quest programme to engage secondary schools with the topic of Energy through an Energiser Day followed by our Carbon Capture and Storage project. We’ll be working with 59 secondary schools across Scotland throughout 2016-17.

We’re excited to extend our I’m an Engineer, I can help here! flooding scenario project to include teachers in East Ayrshire who are looking forward to delivering activities with their classes and clubs following an informative and enjoyable CPD course. 

Please send club news to yesc@scdi.org.uk and tweet us @scdiYESC
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