What STEM Ambassadors Do
Case study of a Career Day at Saint Cuthbert's School
- Location: Saint Cuthbert's High School, Fenham, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
- Keystage: 3.
- Students Ages: 14 to 15 years.
- Date: 12 November 2008.
- Time: 9:00am to 12:00noon.
STEM Ambassadors attending:
- Morad Baisar - Siemens.
- Paul Burdon - Nissan.
- Andrew McKinley - Newcastle University, Chemistry sch.
- Nadia Mohamad Rom - Sunderland University, Biomedical Sch.
- Audrey Nicholson - NHS.
- Michelle Payne - NHS.
- Phil Renforth - Newcastle University, Civil Eng Sch.
Aims of the event
To bring together representatives from a range of different science and engineering sectors with students in Year 10. Students will benefit from exposure to a range of career options available through further study in areas of science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM). Ambassadors will speak to students and encourage questions about their career and the careers available more widely in their field.
Through participation in workshops, demonstrations and activities with industry professionals students will gain insight into the various job roles open to them and get excited about the new directions their studies could take them in.
Format of the event
STEM Ambassadors arrived and set up their demonstrations, powerpoint presentations, workshops or other activities in the school hall. Meanwhile the students where given a brief introduction to the event by Charles Harrison, the teacher responsible for helping to organise the event. Students were put into groups of around 20 and instructed on which Ambassador they would go to first and where they would go when that session was finished.
The event got underway with students sitting in their groups at each of the STEM Ambassadors demonstration points around the room. The STEM Ambassadors gave enthusiastic presentations, demonstrations, workshops and activities. Students were encouraged to ask questions and get actively involved in the activities and in discussions about that area of STEM and about jobs in that field. The students were engaged and felt comfortable asking questions about everything from, "How much do you earn?" to, "What's the best and worst bit of your job?"
After 20 minutes with their STEM Ambassador the groups rotated to the next demonstration and so on.
The STEM Ambassadors gave lively and interesting presentations and had obviously put a great deal of thought and preparation into their workshops. Andrew McKinley gave a vibrant demonstration on photoluminescence, Nadia Mohamad Rom gave a presentation on biomedical study, Paul Burdon involved students in fun engineering design activities, Phil Renforth demonstrated water treatment while Audrey Nicholson and Michelle Payne presented medical slides and equipment covering many areas of healthcare medicine and the NHS.