Subject: Pan-STEM
Young people still at school often enjoy studying ‘Science’ – be that Physics, Chemistry or Biology, but sometimes can’t relate their subject to what kinds of careers are actually available in science once they have achieved their degrees. Frequently, they have difficulty visualising what they might actually be able to do in ‘Science’ and what it might be like to be a ‘Scientist’.
This can lead to students ‘dropping’ Science after taking their GCSE’s and not progressing through the A/S A2 & Level 3 route into Higher Education. A common image of a ‘Scientist’ is of some ‘speccy boffin’ in a white coat, often with ‘fuzzy hair’, maybe 40's-50's, head in the clouds and massively out of touch with reality. To overcome this stereotype, the University Centre at Yeovil College has arranged several large 'Meet the Scientist' events in schools / colleges.
Through these events, pupils have had the opportunity to meet real, practicing scientists who have brought along aspects of their PhD projects to look at and discuss with the students. Between fifteen and eighteen scientists typically attend each event, all of them either having obtained or still studying for their science 'doctorates'. The branches of sciences covered have been extensive and have included a wide range chemical, biological and physics research projects including astro-physics, forensic biology, geo-physics, oceanography and environmental science. The Scientists represented have come from a range of universities, including Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton.
Each event costs around £3750 per event for 200 students attending.
Pupils from Years 10 to 13.
More about the scheme can be found through the SW HE STEM project on Transition & Induction of WP Students.
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HE STEM Programme, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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