STEM Clubs

Three students and three staff visited the show to get ideas for the relaunch of the Garden Project for the Autumn with new Year 7 students. Our existing club members had the opportunity to view many inspirational projects including vegetable growing in small plots and some fantastic planting ideas.

Heolddu Comprehensive School beat stiff competition from seven other teams from around the country that made it through to the final, where they faced a Dragon’s Den style interview and grilling from the judges, including Olympic gold medallist rower, Tom James. As well as their winning glove design making it through to the commercial stage with adidas, other prizes include spending the day with an Olympian, £3,000 worth of STEM Club equipment and the latest in adidas sports clothing. Yvonne Baker, Chief Executive of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network (STEMNET) says: "All the finalists demonstrated a combination of inventiveness and logic in their thinking and some incredibly imaginative designs were submitted. They all applied STEM subjects to the problem and demonstrated both the creativity enabled by these subjects and their practical relevance." "The second STEM Challenge has uncovered two teams that have produced extremely innovative and viable ideas that could be a commercial success the world over. Through our 2012 inspired Challenges, we hope to uncover some of the budding technologists, engineers, mathematicians and scientists of the future." Rowers don’t tend to wear gloves because they can cause their hands to sweat which impedes the action of rowing. However, a specially designed glove made correctly with the right materials to allow breathability could make a major contribution to the sport. St. Clement Danes School, in Chenies Road, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire came second with their design for a sailing glove. They also impressed the judges so much with their entry that their design will also be taken through to the commercial stage with adidas, and therefore details of the design are now commercially sensitive. They won £1,500 worth of STEM Club equipment and the latest in adidas sports clothing. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in The Green Road, Ashbourne, Derbyshire came third with their sailing glove design. Their design is based on a horse grooming brush. They created a rubber glove with moulded plastic dimples on that fits closely to the hand and has the flexibility of a goal keeping glove. They won £750 worth of STEM Club equipment and the latest in adidas sports clothing. The judges for the STEM Challenges were Olympic Rower, Tom James, Nick Fuller, Head of Education at LOCOG and Simon Cartwright, Global Vice President Olympic and Regional Sports at adidas. Tom James was part of the gold medal winning men’s four in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and was awarded an MBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours list. He achieved a degree in Engineering from Cambridge University. Nick Craggs, Marketing Director at adidas says: "Through its Tier One sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, adidas is committed to increasing sports participation across the UK. Inspiration comes in all forms and we are delighted that our STEMNET Challenge will help young people understand how important it is to have the best performing sports kit at the very top level and see how it is designed and thought through. Just think how proud the winners will be if their gloves are used at London 2012."

They were awarded a series of fun chemistry prizes and won over £100 of science resources for the school. The team were then entertained by a colourful and explosive chemistry demonstration by Dr Hugh Cartwright, which kept them fully enthralled. The day was rounded off with the students receiving a VIP tour of the Chemical Research laboratory by former Cotswold School student Becky Maksyomiwcz who is undertaking a PhD there. They got to see a vast variety of expensive analytical equipment and found the whole experience "really cool", but especially so when they had liquid nitrogen poured over them. Thanks are due to The Salter’s Institute, the Royal Society of Chemistry and Oxford University Chemistry Department for inviting us, once again, to participate in such a fantastic educational event.

The 2010 STEMNET Awards highlight the extraordinary achievements of individuals and organisations in energising STEM learning to captivate the next generation of scientists. The STEM Club at Bungay High School in Suffolk is lead by teacher Nick Thomas. This club has shown great enthusiasm and commitment since it was set up to involve its students in a wide range of STEM activities and events. It has maintained this passion to become a thriving and ongoing part of school activity. The club has looked for ways to work on a cross-curricular basis with teachers from science, D&T and maths. At the weekly events run over the past two years they have covered a wide range of projects including bridge construction from paper and sellotape, crash test investigations into crumple zones, fingerprinting, DNA extraction, researching and mounting a remote telescope on the school roof, building and launching compressed air rockets and even investigating the best structure for a tall jelly and taking part in the Tallest Jelly Competition! Bungay High School STEM Club also organised and hosted a regional STEM Club Celebration Event. This involved five secondary schools and included activities arranged by leading employers such as EDF Energy, BT Openreach and the Unversity of East Anglia. The STEMNET Awards were presented to winning individuals and organisations by writer, broadcaster and scientist, Vivienne Parry, at a ceremony hosted by Lord Oxburgh.

180 students and members of staff attended to see 3 of the country's leading scientists take them on a journey into the science behind the nation's favourite dish. Volunteers from the audience helped to demonstrate why onions make you cry, how you can super-freeze water and why chillies are hot! The evening also hosted local curry restaurants such as the Brilliant, Omis and Rita's, who allowed the local community to sample some of their dishes and put into practice some of the science they had learned. The event organiser was suitably impressed. Of the three shows held before Featherstone's, she claimed ours was the best! "Thank you so much for hosting such a lovely evening for the curry tour. The input of the school, the local curry houses, and the enthusiasm of the pupils really made it a great event, and the scientists who presented the show were really pleased that it went so well." The event also had a surprise guest in the form of Dr.Yan from BBC 1's _Bang Goes the Theory_. Dr. Yan, a leading science communicator, was very impressed by the enthusiasm shown by our students and may pay us a visit in the near future! Overall the evening was a great success and we would like to thank all staff and students who contributed to it.

In February students from Featherstone High School were involved in organising the school's first science week. Highlights included the animal roadshow, an indoor planetarium, workshops on dissection, chemistry and rocket building, the science of ghosts, vampires and Zombies and a visit from Dr Steve Myers - Head of Beams and Accelerators at the LHC in Geneva. Steve Myers flew directly from Geneva to speak to our students about the work being done at the Large Hadron Collidor before signing autographs and leaving to fly back.

The day involved the competitive element as well as a strong bussiness/industrial content featuring companies such as JVC, BT Openreach and Thames Water. In addition, as can be seen from the uploaded images, the day also consisted of many science and engineering interactive events such as making QTC sensors, investigating fibre optics and lasers. A very enjoyable day that was of emense value to all who attended.

The pupils took part in a music technology workshop and took to the skies in a flight simulator. They set up thier display for the judges and communicated what they had done well. All agreed that they had had a great day and looking at the projects that other groups had produced was a highlight.

Teams of eager and enthusiastic Year 8 students from Chosen Hill, Tewkesbury, Newent, Winchcombe and The Cotswold School tackled a topical flood defence problem posed by the professional engineers from IET. Over the course of the day the teams were submerged in designing, costing, constructing and testing a working water moving device. They were not swamped by this challenge and produced some entertaining videos detailing their projects progress. The Cotswold School teams acquitted themselves well in their inaugral appearance in this event and impressed the judges with their teamwork and the originality of their designs, which earned them a certificate a goody bag and a deluge of applause. They were, however, just pumped to the winning well by Winchcombe school. Year 10 Science and Engineering club assistants Kirsty Manning, Jade Hartley and Shannon Hitchman were inundated with praise from the IET staff for their help on the day. Pictures and video clips from the event will shortly be available to view on the IET Faraday website.

Appleton's team of six triumphed against tough competition from the other team of fours from, Whitecross Hereford High School, They win a trip to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, plus a tour of the London 2012 construction site. Yvonne Baker, Chief Executive of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Network (STEMNET), the charity that is running the Challenges on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, says: "The finalists are really both winners. Each school has illustrated fantastic capabilities in applying STEM subjects to a problem and demonstrating both the creativity enabled by these subjects and their practical relevance to our built environment. "Further Challenges will enable schools to do the same thing with other areas, from clothing design and manufacturing to understanding what it takes to make a great athlete. We hope the fantastic work these schools have done will encourage more schools and after school STEM clubs to access the resources we have developed for the Challenges and take part. We also hope to uncover some of the budding technologists, engineers and scientists of the future." The first STEM Challenge required students to consider some of the steps involved in designing and siting a National Handball Centre, using the London 2012 handball arena as a case study and inspiring starting point. The winning entry was based on the chocolate orange - consisting of a large sphere surrounded by 3 smaller spheres, connected by tunnels. The segmental structure of the design allowed for movable solar panels and open sections to allow natural light and ventilation into the arena. The team also tested out different surfaces for the floor to see which offered the best mixture of strength and flexibility. Runner-up Whitecross Hereford had an entry that was loosely based around their school as it is a new build. They carefully considered the building process and realised that the heating system, using underground ambient heat, could be installed at the same time as the car park, therefore saving on the transport and development costs. Their building would hold 3 Handball courts and also have conference and gym facilities. The judges for the STEM Challenges were the Olympic Delivery Authority’s Colin Naish, who is project managing the London 2012 handball arena, and Stuart Fraser, the architect of the London 2012 handball arena. The judges were extremely impressed by the ability of the pupils to talk to two "strangers in suits from London" and amongst the hubbub of The Big Bang event. The students’ quick thinking and ability to respond to the challenging presentation environment was impressive, according to Stuart Fraser, one of the judges. Colin Naish added "For us, as judges, it has been a fantastic and enlightening experience".

You may have heard about the regional Big Bang Fairs to be held at locations across the UK in summer 2010. The great thing is that Big Bang Fairs are free events. Even better, for this year only, the STEM Clubs Network is also offering the opportunity for some schools to claim back a contribution towards the supply and transport costs associated with attending the event - up to a total of £300! To be considered for this funding opportunity, you will need to fill in a short application form. Please contact support@stemclubs.net to request a form. Applications need to be completed and returned by 5:30pm on Tuesday 8th June 2010, so don’t delay - apply today! _Please note that only state-maintained secondary schools in England are eligible for this funding. Any school that received funding under the After-School Science & Engineering Clubs (ASSECs) pilot scheme is also ineligible for this funding._

What's more, we'll cover the expenses for up to six pupils and two adults, including transport, accommodation and meals. This is the top prize of the Anti-Doping Challenge, brought to you by STEMNET as part of the STEM Challenges series. There are also runner-up prizes: Second prize = £1500 worth of equipment Third prize = £750 worth of equipment You'll get to choose the equipment, of course, from a shortlist of suppliers. ! Anti-Doping Challenge !! Stage One Students are challenged to prove their proficiency at providing a _mock-up_ of a laboratory service. It is a scaled down version of the International Accreditation process. The challenge asks them to demonstrate: *that they can assemble and use certain apparatus. *how well they can use tests to analyse samples, identify and/or measure specified substances. *Teams will need to provide video/photographic and written evidence of their proficiency. !! Stage Two The students work with unknown samples and produce a report on their analysis. Both stages will be judged together, in school, by visiting judges (STEM Ambassadors). Shortlisted teams will be invited to attend the national finals in September where they will be asked to present their potential laboratory skills and "service" to an interview panel, _Dragon's Den_ style! Visit the STEM Challenges website to find out more.

This is more than simply an irritation, however it poses a threat to life at several different levels. A single knot can reduce the breaking strength of climbing rope by up to 50%. Spontaneous knot formation occurring in umbilical cords in around 1 per cent of pregnancies, quadruples the risk of fetal mortality. Spontaneous knotting in DNA leads to faulty gene transcription and a three to four order of magnitude increase in mutation rate. Despite this, remarkably little is known about the formation of knots - or how to prevent them. Therefore, a team at Aston University is proposing a mass experiment to fill in some of the gaps in the science of knots and address a mathematical conjecture. The university is looking for groups of keen students in schools who want to involve themselves in active data gathering and interpretation and to contribute to a genuine piece of novel science. Your school's involvement and effort need not be extensive. The experiment can be carried out in school, in a class or club environment, with minimal resources (several lengths of string), and typically involving an hour or so per week for two or three weeks. It could form part of a national curriculum case study in Key Stage 3 or 4 to use mathematics to solve problems, or as an open ended mathematical investigation. The results of this major experiment will be announced at an open public talk at the forthcoming British Science Festival hosted at Aston University in September 2010. If you are interested, then please register via email or post using the contact details below. A study pack with full details will be sent out in April to the first 1000 schools who register their intent to participate. The experiments should be performed during May/June. Registration contact details: Vicky Bond The Knot Experiment Aston University Aston Triangle Birmingham B4 7ET Email: v.j.bond@aston.ac.uk Tel: 0121 204 3652 This event is part of the British Science Festival in Birmingham from 14-19 September 2010.

She triumphed over a huge number of nominations and will attend a ceremony at The Royal Institute in London in July to collect the award. Tracey has been with the Science Team for 12 years and was promoted to senior science technician in November 2007. Her love of practical science and enthusiasm for the subject mean that she is always looking for new and innovative ways to help the teaching staff make lessons more engaging for students. She helps out in practical lessons, has introduced some rather explosive classroom demonstrations, has been involved in leading projects with the STEMNET after school club and has plans for the future development of a primary outreach project. Tracey said, "Since childhood I have had a passion for science. I was one of those kids who always wanted to know 'how things worked' and my favourite lesson at school was chemistry. "This led me toward a career in science, and I feel lucky have found a job where I can play a part in inspiring the same enthusiasm in young people." A school spokesperson added, "The Gratnells Science Technician of the Year Award is an important vehicle for giving Science Technicians the recognition they deserve. "The vital role that science technicians play in the efficient running of school Science Departments is often overlooked." Source: Eastbourne Herald

Designing and constructing a light-weight, working, electronic crane provided a demanding challenge and involved a frenzied day of activity. In the end some excellent team working skills prevailed, enabling a wide diversity of different designs to successfully raise and lower a 1kg mass. The appearance of a mouse at lunchtime did however cause some consternation amongst the participants! This event was a fantastic experience for the students and was summarised succinctly as _Fan-dabe-dozi_.

The region-wide event has been organised by the STEM Club at George Stephenson High School, Killingworth, to encourage students who are considering further study or careers in STEM subjects, as well as to celebrate the success of STEM after-school club activities. Special guests include Amanda Whittaker, described as one of Britain's most successful female racing drivers, and her Formula Ford Car, with partner Anthony Dunn, Racing Driver and GoMotorsport Development Officer. The Robert Stephenson Trust will host an exhibition of the North East's science and engineering heritage, including a Zero-Gauge Hornby Rocket Model. There'll be a F1 in Schools track where student-built model cars will be propelled at speeds of up to 25 metres per second. The three regional finalists teams from the recent F1 in Schools Challenge will also display their entries. And the Trewitley Owl Trust will display a selection of owls and birds of prey. Head teacher at George Stephenson High School, Ian Wilkinson, said: "Today is an opportunity to celebrate and reward those students who get involved in STEM activities and show commitment by working lunchtimes, evenings, weekends and holidays. It is a real privilege to see young people who are so enthusiastic about after-school STEM activities, and the ideas for most of our projects come from the students themselves." Cllr George Westwater, Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Learning, added: "It is really important for us to support local and national initiatives to interest young people in STEM subjects and this event will hopefully inspire our students, and students from across the region, to consider pursuing further studies and future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths." The event is supported by STEM Outreach at Newcastle College. STEM Outreach coordinates over 300 volunteers (STEM Ambassadors) across Tyne and Wear. STEM Ambassadors support schools by giving career talks, delivering workshops and demonstrations and leading discussions about the relevance of STEM knowledge and skills in our lives. STEM Outreach also broker E&E (curriculum enhancement and enrichment) to schools, providing teachers with a single point of contact for a wide array of enrichment opportunities to raise pupils' enthusiasm and understanding of science, technology, engineering and maths. The event has been funded by the DCSF and STEMNET. Source: North Tyneside Council/STEMNET

The girls, all Year 7 pupils, were set the challenge of designing a school with the minimum impact on the environment. The girls had to build a model to illustrate their ideas, create an eye-catching display and present their thoughts to judges at Manchester's Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI) on 1st May. They were required to fully justify every design feature with sound scientific evidence and explain how their model would reduce the environmental impact of the school if put into practice. Pupils worked together with our two Teach First teachers Aaysha Ahmed and Sally Wittrick, to investigate several contributing factors to the ecological running of the school. The girls investigated wind speed around school to inform the positioning of a wind turbine, presenting results using text and graphs. Water conservation was studied resulting in a water butt to collect rain water combined with a compost heap beneath. This gave the school free water, which took heat energy from the decomposing compost, to be used in cleaning or heating the school. The roof spaces were converted to gardens, not only to provide an opportunity to cultivate food but also to provide insulation. The girls also researched paper making and recycled teachers' waste paper to make their own range of different types of paper. These formed part of the display along with a podcast recorded to explain how the paper was made. The end result was an incredibly well presented pitch, complete with a model of the school, incorporating a wind farm, a live roof top garden - complete with cress - and a their unique way of recycling teachers’ waste to create homemade paper. All pupils and staff involved put in an incredible amount of time and effort to prepare for the competition and made me very proud to have them representing the school and pushing forward the STEM agenda.

They joined former Science Minister and President of STEMNET Lord Sainsbury and Diana Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners, to celebrate the new national network. The young people attending were from schools and colleges that have been running After School Science & Engineering Clubs as part of a highly successful DCSF-funded pilot scheme launched in 2006 that now involves 500 schools across the UK. The pilot clubs have been flourishing and helping to inspire the next generation to study and pursue careers in STEM by bringing these subjects to life in a way that isn’t always possible in the classroom.
Lord Sainsbury set out plans for the new STEM Clubs Network which has grown out of the pilot and which will begin in the academic year 2009/10. Every school and college in the UK will be able to join the network either by starting a new club or affiliating their existing club. Diana Johnson said: "STEM is central to addressing some of the biggest challenges we face today, from climate change and energy security to combating disease. With independent projections suggesting there will be almost 2.4 million science, maths and technology related jobs by 2017, we are going to need to unlock the very best of British scientific talent in the years ahead.
"We are spending £140 million from 2008-2011 on supporting science, technology, engineering, and maths in schools. "We have set aside £7million to fund After School STEM Clubs. 500 after school STEM clubs have been rolled out so far, which enrich, enhance and extend the curriculum for 11 to 14 year olds. "I'm happy to say that the expansion of the pilot into a UK wide STEM Clubs Network will now aim to establish a STEM club in every school." At the launch of the new STEM Clubs Network, pupils from Hanham High School in Bristol and Tanfield School in County Durham which have been involved in the pilot showcased some of the experiments and projects. The pupils stood up and gave captivating performances in front of the Minister and Lord Sainsbury. Their activities so far have included designing space suits, building remote controlled robots and setting up their own weather station. The teachers spoke of the huge benefits that the clubs have brought to their school and to the students.

The project’s aim was to design a unique jacket for polar expeditions. Brainstorming sessions took place and each team member was allocated a specific role. The plan of action was set; Research – Test – Design. Research led to contact with a Cambridge PhD student. From information gathered it was established that the jacket did not need to be waterproof – it does not rain in Antarctica and the snow is dry. It was decided that a two-in-one jacket best filled the criteria. Layer one for working in (you produce plenty of body heat when active), layer two to be worn during periods of inactivity. Samples of materials were collected and laboratory tests carried out. Experiments were risk assessed and appropriate safety precautions taken. Fair testing was implemented. Discussions with experts led to specialised features being added to the design. The final design represented an innovative amalgamation of a dedicated team's work. The school will receive a one day visit from Team QinetiQ (Ben Fogle, James Cracknell and Ed Coats) in April 2009. The visit will include Team QinetiQ spending time with the School's After School Science and Engineering Club members. Ben commented: "I’ve been so impressed by all the competition entries and the children have come up with some excellent ideas for jackets to wear in Antarctica. It’s great to see that our race to the South Pole has helped to generate such enthusiasm for learning about science and the Antarctic environment. Team QinetiQ is really looking forward to visiting everyone at Hagley Grammar School in April." We spoke to the winners after the award was made last Friday and were met with comments like "I can't believe it!" and "This is amazing!". Congratulations to the team from Hagley!

Picutres and video to follow soon!