May 18, 2012 3:42 pm
On 27th March and 18th April local heats The Royal Society of Chemistry (Analytical branch) competition were held at Sunderland and Northumbria University respectively. A total of 54 students from 18 schools in the region competed and the winners were announced as: Emmanuel College in Gateshead and Central Newcastle High School; with runner up Newcastle College.
“It was a wonderful success. We had double the number (of teams) this year… The university sponsored lunch, provided a student ambassador, and a work placement student. There was a wonderful young and fresh feel about the whole competition!” – Roger Reeve at Sunderland University.
Emmanuel college and Central Newcastle High School will now be judged along with 4 other winners for a chance to go to the final.
May 16, 2012 11:15 am
Calling teachers! STEMNET would like to know more about your club and what you would like from the STEM Clubs Network. To make your voice heard about what you value about the STEM Clubs Network and what more you would like from it, please complete the online survey. You can find the survey here:www.keysurvey.com/survey/430489/ba2e/.
The closing date for the survey is the 25th May 2012. More than one person per school can complete the survey, so please feel free to complete it yourself and encourage colleagues who might like to have their say as well. A £200 voucher will be up for grabs in a prize draw from all the completed entries with the winner announced on the STEMClubs Network website on the 29th May 2012.
The results of this survey will be used to shape the future of the STEM Clubs Network, your opinions are really important. Have your say today!
May 10, 2012 3:14 pm
A limited number of grants of up to £500 are available for you to have a STEM E&E activity take place at your school in 2012, to be chosen from those listed in these online STEM Directories.
The aim of STEM Directories Grants Scheme is to foster the use of the STEM Directories, enable wider access to activities listed and support STEM teachers. The scheme is designed not only to raise awareness of E&E activities but to support your professional development and enhance the experience in your school by helping integrate E&E activities in curricular practice. All state-funded schools in England are eligible to apply. Applications are particularly welcome from both schools in underprivileged areas and high achieving schools, but the successful applicants will be chosen at random from the eligible applicants.
For more information, please look at the Grant Terms. To apply, fill out an Application Form. The deadline for this round is 5pm on Thursday 31 May 2012.
3:03 pm
BAFTA’s Young Game Designers Competition 2012 is here!
This is a competition for 11-16 year olds to design a video game.
The competition is split into 2 categories, the concept award and the making award.
The concept award is geared towards students who like the way video games look and enjoy creating their own set of video game characters and inventing a whole new world for them to live in.
The game making award is for students fascinated by how video games get made and enjoy using some of the game making software available to create their own mini games at home.
Students don’t have to choose between them however and can enter both.
Students can enter as a team of three, as a pair or on their own.
Students can take a look at last year’s contestants and see what sort of games made it into the top 10. They can also look at the ‘Make a Game’ page and have a go at creating your very own game right now.
Keep your eyes peeled on the website for more updates. Students can also attend workshops taking place this Summer across the UK. Find out more here.
April 30, 2012 2:45 pm
Attention teachers! Did you know that you can borrow samples of Moonrock and Meteorites?Well you can! With the science and technology facility council’s Loan Scheme.
Valuable samples of moon rock and soil were brought back to Earth by NASA’s Apollo astronauts. STFC is the only authorised source for the loan of this precious material to educational or scientific organisations within the United Kingdom. Four educational packages are available free of charge (including special security delivery/collection) for short term loans of lunar samples and meteorites.
The samples were collected during NASA’s manned space missions to the Moon in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s. During these missions the Apollo astronauts brought back to earth 382 kilograms of lunar material. NASA decided to use a small proportion of the rock and soil to develop lunar and planetary sciences educational packages.
They are of interest to everyone from a young child to a geology student. Each package also contains different examples of meteorites, put together by the Natural History Museum. Some sets have sectioned samples, and every set has chunk-sized pieces of meteorite that can be handled. Comprehensive support material is included with each loan. Hundreds of schools, colleges, universities, museums and astronomical societies throughout the UK have enjoyed the samples since the scheme began. Please give them at least four months notice. For further information and how to apply for a loan, read the notes for borrowers + application then visit the frequently asked questions.
April 24, 2012 12:48 pm
The Biochemical Society have grants of up to £1000 available to help fund activities that communicate the excitement of molecular bioscience, or more general biology, to young people and the community. Their activities library has some ideas you could use, including downloadable activity cards, useful links and details of past activities for inspiration. The deadline for the next round of applications is 30th April 2012. For more details please see here.
April 19, 2012 11:55 am
A new project has been launched to get primary school kids excited about coding!
How you can help and get involved:
- Help write up 12 weeks of lesson plans based on “Scratch”. Email Linda if you can help with this.
- Sign up here as a teacher if you’re interested in hearing when the curriculum is ready.
- Sign up here to volunteer at your local club to teach coding.
- Sign up here if you’re interested in sponsoring the project.
11:03 am
Bright club are looking for students and researchers to take part in the next Newcastle event which will take place in June, the meeting for those interested in taking part is next week, see below for details.
Newcastle Bright Club is the thinking person’s variety night, blending comedy, music, art, new writing, science, performance, and anything else that can happen on a stage. The Centre Life are welcoming along some of the north east’s finest academics, researchers and students for a variety night like no other.
Newcastle Bright Club
Training session
Weds 25 April
12.30pm-2.30pm
Centre for Life – meet at main visitor reception
A great public engagement opportunity for north east based students and researchers!
Footage of some previous Newcastle Bright Club acts can be found below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_1n3nDOOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8V8XAcrqj4
If you’re interested in finding out more or even taking part in Newcastle Bright Club please get in touch with Sheela Joy on sheela.joy@life.org.uk or 0191 243 8292.
April 18, 2012 11:55 am
A day for everyone teaching physics
Lectures, updates, workshops, manufacturers, publishers and more. Sessions for those new to the subject and experienced teachers.
Durham University
21 June 2012
9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Sponsored by: The Institute of Physics, Science Learning Centre North East and Durham University
Book via: Nicola Hall, tel 0191 370 6200
e-mail: n.l.hall@durham.ac.uk
web: www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk/northeast
Cost: FREE with lunch and refreshments included. Places must be pre-booked through the Science Learning Centre North East. (Failure to attend without prior notice will incur a £25 administration fee.)
April 12, 2012 11:23 am
Application is now open for the British Science Association’s Strictly Engineering between 5 April-16 May 2012 (midnight).
All postgraduate engineers (MSc to professors) based in the UK working in any engineering area, either in academia or industry, are eligible.
You need to be available on the following dates:
- Workshops: London 26 June; Aberdeen, 3 July; Manchester, 12 July (10h – 16h30).
- British Science Festival: 7-9 July
- Develop poster: ~25h spread throughout July and August (this is just a rough estimate, more or less time might be required)
Only up to 34 applications will be selected.
The British Science Association will consider how well your proposal is written, if you have a clear message you want to pass on to the general public and if the skills developed by this project will potentially benefit your and others in the future. They may also consider diversity criteria in similarly marked proposals.
You can apply using the form here.
