NATIONAL SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME – NOVEMBER 2022

“We are delighted to have co-presented three major Science Summer School events during November 2022 with our local partners. We hope you enjoy the films and programmes below and get a flavour of these fantastic events and the work we are doing. This buzz of activity follows unavoidable project postponements and delays in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. It’s good to be back and our grateful thanks to all those colleagues who have worked tirelessly to make these events happen. They are all passionate about introducing young people to the incredible world of STEAM (science, technology education, arts and mathematics) and the many exciting career opportunities which exist already or will emerge in coming years as new ideas and technologies are developed. 

Professor Brian Cox and I co-founded this programme in 2012 and I thank him for his help in encouraging future generations of scientists and engineers here in the UK”. 

Lord Andrew Mawson OBE
Chair – Well North Enterprises & Co-Founder – Science Summer School

Professor Brian Cox CBE, Britain’s leading physicist and science communicator and Co-Founder of Science Summer School, sent this message to students prior to their attending these events:

“Here in the UK we need significantly more scientists and engineers. There are huge opportunities out there but you may not know what those opportunities are. You may not have considered that you could be a biologist or an astronomer or a space craft engineer. There are hundreds, probably thousands of potential careers, futures that you could choose. The idea of the Science Summer School is to see if there is anything that people talk about that interests you. Also, really importantly I think, it’s an opportunity for you to make connections with people in industry, people in universities, in colleges, apprenticeships; a whole range of things that you could possibly do. Have a great day”.

SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL, NORTHERN IRELAND

Tuesday 15 November 2022

Over 350 secondary school students were inspired to consider careers in science and engineering after attending the prestigious ‘Science Summer School Northern Ireland event at The Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena on 15 November 2022.  

Hosted by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, this was the first time this event has been held in Northern Ireland. Keynote speakers included Professor Brian Cox CBE plus a raft of other industry and academic leaders including Andrew Smyth, former Great British Bake Off contestant and engineer for Rolls Royce; Dr. Erin Higgins, Astrophysicist at the Armagh Observatory & Planetarium; and Professor Ultan Power, Professor of Molecular Virology, Queen’s University Belfast to name but a few.

Students were also treated to an array of ‘hands on’ workshops including ‘The Future of Flight’, Portable Planetarium – Making Sense of Space; and Fuelling the Future with hydrogen.  

There was also a special evening panel event for students and their parents which highlighted the myriad of career pathways and opportunities available to the future workforce – drawing on the experiences of speakers from the daytime event.  

Summer Science School Northern Ireland was sponsored by Ryobi, Almac, IPC, Northern Regional College, Randox, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies and Michelin Development.

NORTH STAR SCIENCE SCHOOL, SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Wednesday 23 November 2022

Over 600 South Yorkshire pupils attended the North Star Science School held at Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham on 23 November 2022. 

Presented by Work-wise, this is the third time this event has taken place in South Yorkshire including a virtual event in 2020.  

This year the event saw 12 businesses delivering workshops and inspiring presentations by apprentices, graduates and company directors giving students an insight into the world of working in local STEAM industries, including as well as some of the unorthodox career paths taken followed by some of the speakers. They included Professor Brian Cox CBE; Robyn Elliott, Development Engineer at the AMRC Composite Centre; Peter Droegmoeller, Director of Innovation at Ametek Land; Dr Simon Goodwill, Head of Sports Engineering at Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre; and Daisy Mulingani, Assistant Geologist at Ibstock PLC.

Some businesses also worked in partnership with local schools to co-create and deliver workshops attended by students on the day including: AESSEAL with Wickersley School & Sports College; Barratt Developments PLC with Brinsworth Academy; CBE+ with Newfield Secondary School; Forged Solutions Group with Don Valley Oasis Academy; Ibstock Plc with Wales High School; and UK Atomic Energy Authority with Sheffield Park Academy.

An evening event brought businesses, educators, parents and some of the students together to celebrate the achievements of the North Star programme and share thoughts on how to encourage more young people to take up STEAM careers. Hannah Tew, Director of Air Mobility at Connected Places Catapult gave an inspiring keynote presentation sharing her own story with a ‘heads up’ on some future directions of travel for the aviation industry. 

North Star 2022 was made possible through support and funding provided by local businesses and authorities. This year’s sponsors include: AESSEAL, Ametek Land, AMRC, Barratt Developments PLC, CBE+, Forged Solutions Group, Gulliver’s Valley, Harworth Group, Ibstock Plc, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield City Council, UK Atomic Energy Authority, United Cast Bar (in collaboration with Cast Metals Federation).

BROOKLANDS INNOVATION ACADEMY, SURREY

Tuesday 29 November 2022

Engineers and scientists from organisations such as McLaren F1, Airbus, the NHS and Haleon joined over 400 students at Brooklands Museum on 29 November 2022 for the inaugural Brooklands Innovation Academy. Hosted by Brooklands Museum, our first museum partnership, the event celebrated  innovation, human endeavour, and entrepreneurship, all trademarks of this historic home of British motor sport and aviation and still totally relevant today and in sync with the Science Summer School ethos. The event brought together an extraordinary range of STEM experts and highlighted the exciting career opportunities and challenges in sectors ranging from MedTech and motorsport through to aerospace and robotics.

Speakers included Professor Brian Cox with a virtual presentation entitled ‘The origins of the universe, cosmology and black holes’; World Land Speed Record holder, Wing Commander Andy Greene OBE;  Kirsty Murphy MBE, the first female Red Arrow pilot; and Dr Alice Bunn OBE, Chief Executive of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers.  

21 workshops included aerodynamic design and materials with engineers from McLaren F1; the Bloodhound Education team looked at the physics behind the 1,000mph land speed record car; NHS and Bayer hosted workshops around careers in health, including a giant inflatable heart that students could climb through; Airbus discussed lunar moon landers and aircraft design; Brooklands College got students to conduct a race car pitstop and solve a simulated forensic crime scene investigation; and Lead Sponsor Haleon presented workshops on the science behind making toothpaste, packaging design, and the world of microbiology.

A Careers Fair and special evening event attended by students, their parents and project stakeholders continued the daytime theme highlighting STEM careers.  Inspirational speakers included civil engineer, Ayo Sokale and pilot Kirsty Murphy. 

Brooklands Innovation Academy was made possible through support from Haleon, an international company based near Brooklands, whose early investment and backing helped to get the project airborne; also, grateful thanks to the NHS, NW Surrey Alliance, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital, Surrey County Council and a range of local companies and organisations acknowledged in the programme below.