Autumn 2021 Newsletter

And just like that we are back in full swing!

Our annual competitions, the Gloucestershire K'Nex Challenge and the Worcestershire Primary STEM Challenge are up and running and we are excited to announce that we are looking for someone to join our team!

In preparation for the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow, 1-12th November 2021, we have put together some workshop ideas and activities around the theme of Climate Change and Sustainability, so be sure to take a look at these below.

We continue to keep pupils and staff safe by regularly updating our workshop risk assessment with Covid-19 protocols. Please contact us if you would like to see it.

Join Our Team!

We are looking for a person to join our team who is passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and a dab hand at Social Media too. If this sounds like your cup of tea then we would love to hear from you! You can find more details about what the job involves by clicking here

The deadline for applications is noon on Friday 8th October.

Workshops to support COP26

Take a look at the workshops that we have on offer to help support the teaching of COP26 themes.

Wind Turbines - In this workshop, students first explore how electricity is generated using wind power. Using their new found knowledge they are then tasked with designing and building their very own wind turbine. Once built, the turbines will be put to the test to see which one can generate the most power!
Wind Powered Vehicles - Working in teams, students will design and build a wind powered vehicle using the limited amount of materials on offer. Then it's time for Ready, Steady......GO! Which team will win the race?!
Sustainable Solutions qa- Students work together to design a brand new environmentally friendly product. Once they have created their prototype, it is then time to enter the Dragon's Den and sell it!. Through the completion of this workshop, students will also be able to achieve a CREST Discovery Award. Contact us for more details.

Worcestershire Primary STEM Challenge 2021-22

This year's theme focuses on COP26 and how we can make a difference locally in Worcestershire. We are excited to be supported by Envirosort who have offered all participating schools a visit to their site in Norton, near Worcester, to see the recycling process first hand. This offer can be taken up at any time so please get in touch for more details.

We have already seen a huge demand for places in this year's challenge and as a result, many of our districts have been completely filled. The cost of the workshop is £200, however all participating schools will receive £160 subsidy* towards this. If your school hasn't already registered and you are keen to inspire your pupils with a new and exciting challenge then please contact us by completing the online form.

*one subsidy per school

Gloucestershire K'Nex Challenge 2022

What an exciting start to the year! We have had lots of interest from schools already for this long running competition and the majority of workshop sessions are now booked.

If you have registered your school, you should now have received an email with your workshop date. If you have not received this, please let us know.

We are lucky to have the continued support of Renishaw plc, who not only subsidise the costs for schools, but hope to host an in person final later in the year, where their engineers will be the judges. If this can't take place (due to restrictions), we have plans for a virtual final already in place.

There are a very few subsidised places left, so there is still time to get involved!

Register your interest using our online form.

Recycle Reuse with CREST Awards

Take a look at the Super Star Recycle Reuse Activity. In this challenge, students will need to research how paper is recycled and see if they can make their own paper using scraps.

More information about CREST Awards can be found at crestawards.org.

The Road to Zero Hunger… NEW STEM resource

Looking for real-life contexts to inspire your pupils in STEM subjects and connect with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals? Science Made Simple and STEM Matters have teamed up to produce a new STEM resource for schools.

The Road to Zero Hunger is an exciting NEW STEM resource for pupils aged 8-14 years. It enables teachers to engage their pupils in Action Against Stunting, a real-life research project that is tackling the causes of stunted development in children in India, Indonesia, and Senegal.

FREE to download - The Teacher’s guide, Power Point and Pupil activity sheets include:

a role play activity simulating a meeting between farmers, parents and researchers across the countries involved in the project
science and design and making activities that help farmers get their produce along the road to local markets ·
an opportunity for students to gain a British Science Association CREST Discovery Award.

Download here https://actionagainststuntingday.org/resources/schools/zero-hunger

Funding for CREST Awards

If you teach young people who are underrepresented in STEM, then we have exciting news for you.

Thanks to the support of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Bristish Science Association are offering funding of up to £600 for schools or organisations to run CREST Awards of any level with students aged 5-19, helping to remove the financial barriers that may otherwise prevent young people from participating in science.

The following grants are now open for applications:

up to £300 to cover CREST Award registration fees
up to £300 to support costs involved in running the Awards (such as CPD for school staff, consumables or equipment).

If your school meets any of the eligibility criteria, then it's time to apply! Research shows that the benefits of CREST Awards can be even more significant to disadvantaged young people, so this funding really could make a huge impact. The application deadline is 5pm on Friday 15 October 2021, so don’t delay and apply today!

Kick Start Grants are now open!

While British Science Week 2022, taking place from 11-20 March, is still a few months away, it's not too early to get prepared!

For schools in challenging circumstances that want to plan exciting events and activities for students to get involved with during the Week, the British Science Association offer grants of up to £700 so they can do just that.

If your school is state-funded and non-selective and:

has at least 30% of pupils eligible for pupil premium
has at least 30% of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds*
or is small and based in a rural location

then you may be eligible to apply for one of the Kick Start Grants, provided with the support of UKRI. Applications close at 5pm on Monday 8 November 2021, so it’s time to get thinking about science-based events and activities that the whole school can enjoy. The sky’s the limit!

*Minority ethnic backgrounds include all pupils who don’t self-describe as White British. It includes Irish, except in Northern Ireland.