Archive

Headstart Inspire Year 11 Girls course

We need to encourage more young women into science/engineering/technology based careers, so Headstart are extending their course opportunities to year eleven girls.

There is a brand new course for year 11/S4 girls:

Newcastle University:
11th – 13th July 2011

Hosted by the School of Marine Science & Technology, students will design, build and test a design which will increase the efficiency of the shipping industry and therefore use less fuel, cost less to run and hopefully be kinder to our environment. Underpinning the course will be skill development sessions comprising project management, confidence building, team-working, study skills and presentation skills.

Please see headstart courses for further details.

The course will be a valuable preparation for STEM A-levels and we’d be grateful if you could let your female students know about this great opportunity.

Places are limited so completed applications need to be returned to us as soon as possible.

For more information on these courses please visit www.headstartcourses.org.uk and email info@headstartcourses.org.uk for an application form.

Oceans of Opportunity – Your Future in Science and Technology

Careers fair Wednesday, 1st December 2010

Lindisfarne Room, Main Campus, Newcastle University

You and your students (Year 10 – 13) ar invited to the Oceans of Opportunity Careers fair on Wednesday, 1st December 2010 at the Lindisfarne Room, Newcastle University.

The event is an opportunity for  pupils to participate in a suite of stimulating interactive activities that bring science and technology learning to life. A wide range of high profile STEM companies and employers will be represented at the event with many challenging and exciting careers showcased. While all careers represented are in science and engineering, many also have a focus on the marine sector, a field that a lot of young people will have not considered.

Schools can book a choice of two free activities from a choice of 4, participate in an engaging debate, have the opportunity to win prizes and resources, and find out more about the fantastic careers and courses on offer.

There are a number of different options available to your school/college:

The options are:

• Attend the morning session (10am-1pm) : participate in two hands-on activities, speak to organisations and companies at the Careers Exhibition, and be involved in the debate.
• Attend the afternoon session (12-3pm): participate in two hands-on activities, speak to organisations and companies at the Careers Exhibition, and be involved in the debate.
• Participate in Careers Exhibition only – from 10.00am-12noon
• Participate in Careers Exhibition only – from 1.00pm-3.00pm

Please contact Annie Cunningham at annie.cunningham@ncl.ac.uk or Tel: 0191 222 3066 to register your attendance. See also this link http://www.ncl.ac.uk/marine/learning/inspiringoceans/.

Oceans of Opportunity – Your Future in Science and Technology

The Oceans of Opportunity event is being held on Wednesday 1^st December 2010 at Newcastle University. It will be attended by an estimated 600-700 pupils aged 15-18yrs, from schools and colleges around the NE region and further afield.

Schools can sign up to a range of stimulating, interactive activities that bring science learning to life, participate in an engaging debate, and find out more about the fantastic careers and courses on offer. A wide range of high profile companies and employers will be represented at the event with many challenging and exciting careers showcased.

There are a number of different options available to your school/college, as there are different elements that make up the event.

The options are:

• Attend the morning session (10am-1pm) which will include chance to participate in two hands-on activities, the opportunity to speak to organisations and companies offering courses or careers in marine, maritime and science based fields at the Careers Exhibition, and the chance to be involved in the debate.
• Attend the afternoon session (12-3pm), and participating in the activities described above.
• Participate in the Careers Exhibition only – from 10am-12pm
• Participate in the Careers Exhibition only – from 1-3pm

 As part of your session, students will get the opportunity to participate in two activities out of a choice of four.

To ensure your school/college’s participation in the Oceans of Opportunity event, please complete the form below by 4pm on the Tuesday, 2^nd November 2010 and return it to Annie Cunningham at annie.cunningham@ncl.ac.uk or post to Annie Cunningham, Dove Marine Laboratory, School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Cullercoats, North Shields, NE30 4PZ.

Please complete the following details to register:

Please number the options below in order of preference, put a cross against any options you cannot attend.

 If you are attending a full morning or afternoon session, please specify your activity preferences below and we will do our best to accommodate your top choices.

If you have any questions or queries please contact Annie Cunningham on the above email address.

Marine Science Conference

The School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University is holding a Marine Science conference on Wednesday 15th December 2010 and wondered if you would be interested in bringing along your A-level Biology students to participate in the event. The conference has been organised by a committee of final year Marine Science undergraduates with speakers from a range of universities in the north. The day will be run in the style of a scientific conference with poster sessions and information stands.

The theme of the event is ‘easing transition’ and the conference is a novel opportunity for A-level students hoping to go to University to study a science-based subject to gain experience of how oral and poster presentations play an important role in assessment and to hear more about life at University from students themselves.

The day will start at 9:30 am with registration and refreshments, with the talks beginning at 10:00 am and lasting until around 3:00 pm. All refreshments and food will be provided and each participant will receive a conference bag. After the afternoon break there will be a chance for pupils to ask current Newcastle students about university life, studying at Newcastle, the marine science programmes etc in a question and answer panel. The day will finish no later than 4:15 pm.

For further information or to book your place at the event please contact Sara Marsham (sara.marsham@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 222 3056)

Activities from the Dove Marine Laboratory

Over the summer we have run our “Splashdown” summer schools.

This year, we ran two week long schools, one for Key Stage 2 and one for Key stage 3 pupils.

Children come for 5 days and get involved in science explorations of the natural environment. We focus strongly on marine habitats, but also investigate rivers, woodland and sand dune habitats. Pupils can use our microscope, aquarium and science facilities to plan their own projects, and in past years, these have been submitted for Crest awards. The week is very enjoyable with plenty of opportunities for fun, and to make new friends.

There is a fee involved and registration forms for next year’s summer school will be downloadable from our website, certainly from February 2011 onwards. There are some places offered for free and schools can contact us to find out more information regarding these.

We are planning our “Inspiring Oceans” careers event for 1st December. This will be a repeat of last year’s great success where lots of companies from science, technology and marine related organisations come along to offer advice, and hands-on activities to school groups. There will be bookable interactive activities, careers talks, and lots of prizes to be won. This event is free of charge, but booking is essential. It is aimed at pupils of 14-15 years and older.

We are also holding a “Marine Science conference” on Wednesday 15th December 2010 open to A-level Biology students. The conference has been organised by a committee of final year Marine Science undergraduates with speakers from a range of universities in the north. The day will be run in the style of a scientific conference with poster sessions and information stands.

WE are advertising our “X-factor” competition, which is spelt “ECS factor” – Environmental Consultancy Solutions. Teams (up to 4 pupils) can register to participate, and will role-play as a team of scientists working to solve a particular problem. They should identify a topic of their own choosing related to the marine environment.

This could be:

· a study of a given species or habitat,

· it could be a threat to marine diversity,

· or a problem related to food harvesting from the oceans,

· it could also be a technology or engineering problem related to the marine environment,

· perhaps something to do with renewable energy

· the topics are limitless as long as they are related to marine issues.

The pupils should research this topic and come up with solutions to the problem.

Guidelines can be sent out on competition submission criteria.

Winning teams (submission deadline is in early March 2011) will get a day out at sea on the University’s new research vessel to conduct scientific surveys of marine habitats with a team of professional marine biologists.

We also offer a comprehensive programme of activities for schools on STEM activities. Schools can book challenging and well structured days throughout the year. These can be fieldcourse or lab-class based. We accommodate all age groups.

For more information please visit http://www.ncl.ac.uk/marine/learning/ and contact Jane Delany the Dove Marine Outreach co-ordinator j.e.delany@newcastle.ac.uk