The Space Academy Competition 2010 was a chance for me to go deeper into the subject of the planet Mars than I ever had before, revealing just how fascinating the universe is! I've personally always been intrigued by the red planet, but the knowledge that just a few °C rise at the poles could start to make Mars habitable really gets you thinking about the future of the human race...I was simply ecstatic when I heard that I'd won the competition, I was just completely in shock! To have the chance to travel to the world's most northerly rocket range in Norway, meet some of the world's top space scientists and to launch a rocket is like a dream come true! The European Space Camp (ESC) is an opportunity like no other; not just for me, but for all young people. Whilst at the ESC I plan to give daily updates (maybe by video) on my time there, in order to promote how far Science and Math’s can take people.

I really don't know what to expect from the European Space Camp, I guess the realisation of where I'm going hasn't really sunk in yet with A Level exams looming! However, I know that this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to live out my dream to get involved with space, so I'll see you in Norway!

On the 20th March families from all across Derbyshire enjoyed visiting Derby City Library for the city’s annual Science and Technology event. Throughout the day over 2,000 people enjoyed lots of activities including the opportunity to hold snakes, stroke meerkats and smell skunks. 

Visitors were able to fire 100mph air rockets down the aisles of bookshelves. They also got to experience the joys of making slime at the Energy MC2 wacky chemistry stand, watch the secret life of a water fly under a microscope and blow a raspberry. Some watched themselves in slow motion with the aid of a 30,000 frames per second video camera. Others entered a gruelling library-maths quiz to try and win a portable DVD player. Many tried to match up different animal skulls from around the world and discover the wonders of the universe with a gigantic Star Dome. 

Special thanks to Derby City Library, The University of Derby, The National Space Centre, Tropical Inc., the Derbyshire Education and Business Partnership (DEBP) STEM team, Hands on Science, Rob Farr (the Energy MC2) and Dr. Chris Robbins who all helped organise and run the event.  

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery recently hosted their first family construction day, with the support of Derbyshire Education Business Partnership (DEBP), and attracted over 500 people from across Derbyshire. The event coincided with National Science and Engineering Week 2010 - and also formed part of a new bridges exhibition that will open in April. It allowed children of all ages to explore and create their own models using the range of construction activities provided by the museum and DEBP.  

While the overall theme was based upon bridges, the children had great fun making a wide variety of models and toys from a range of popular construction systems.  Some made intricately complex structures from paper, and others built large suspension bridges and giant tetrahedrons from canes and rubber bands.   Ed Byrne, one of Derbyshire’s STEM Ambassadors also provided expert advice on the day about what it is like to have a career in the STEM industry. Dr Bill Longshaw, who runs the Enlightenment! programme, said, "Today's event has been a great success for us. Enlightenment! is all about inspirational inventions in Derbyshire in the 18th and 19th Century - hence our bridges exhibition in April. It is good to see the spirit of enquiry alive and well in the county today!”   

Lawrie Peck, DEBP Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) manager said “This has been a fantastic opportunity for families to explore some of the basic concepts of the STEM subjects in a fun and relevant way.  We work with many of Derbyshire’s schools to help inspire an interest in these subjects from an early age and events like these are key to getting families involved.”

Guest blogger: Derbyshire Education Business Partnership

We have just launched a new spy-themed experiment on Lab in a Lorry in the East Midlands. This experiment has been developed by staff at the University of Nottingham's School of Physics and Astronomy thanks to funding from East Midlands Development Agency (emda). Excited pupils at Djanogly City Academy Nottingham were the first to experience this new activity. They became secret agents, using the equipment to eavesdrop on an enemy and communicate secrets to other agents.

I have been volunteering for the Lab in a Lorry for several years now and I’m delighted that the opportunity arose for us to develop this new experiment. It reflects the research going on around magnetic data storage and allows school pupils to explore modern computing power and data access/storage. I’m also pleased that this has given us the chance to start a link between Djanogly City Academy and my University which I hope will lead on to many more STEM activities for the school’s pupils. 

The new experiment will be on board the Lab from now on as it continues on its three-year tour of the East Midlands.

Guest Blogger: Chris Staddon, Senior Experimental Officer, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham

Research shows that the overwhelming majority of the public regard television as their most significant source of information about science. We believe that the broadcast media should represent and reflect all areas of science and culture, and therefore should be produced by people from a variety of different backgrounds.

We aim to increase the crossover between science and the media and to enable bright, articulate and motivated scientists to explore a career in the broadcast industry.

The Science Media Studentships offer financial support for two practising biomedical scientists to undertake a postgraduate qualification in Science Media Production at Imperial College London and to follow this with a six-month placement working in the broadcast industry.  

The 2010 round of applications just opened today. Deadline is 26 February 2010.

For more information, see:
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Grants/Science-Media-Studentships

Guest Blogger: The Wellcome Trust

Maths Inspiration is returning to the Nottingham Playhouse on 25 March after the huge success of this school lecture event in 2009.  We’re expecting pupils from about 40 schools from Nottinghamshire and the surrounding counties to come, with full houses (nearly 700) at both shows. 

The event aims to inspire more teenagers to pursue mathematical subjects to a higher level.  Audience interaction and humour are an important element.  Scientist and stand-up comedian Helen Pilcher is the MC, and Mark Lewney – rock guitarist and physicist – is the headline act.  The audience will also get insights into the building of the 2012 Olympic Stadium from engineer Paul Shepherd, and a talk on the maths of psychology (with a bit of Derren Brown style telepathy thrown in) from author and broadcaster Rob Eastaway.

The event is suitable for sixth formers and more able/motivated Year 11s. To book your place, or find out more visit http://www.mathsinspiration.com/events.html

Guest Blogger: Rob Eastaway

The School of Science and Technology at the University of Northampton has been working with local schools to create robots made from junk. This is an initiative by the University to introduce environmental sustainability, engineering and computing to students in a fun and educational project that uses STEM subjects.

Junkbots is being delivered by university staff and students, working as STEM Ambassadors, going into schools to provide guidance and support in the production of the robots.  The workshops will introduce students to the idea of waste management and allow them to design and build their own robots, using junk material, to being with and later creating a robot that will clear rubbish.  Students will then present their work to the wider group.

Here are some comments from Thomas Becket Catholic School who have been working with the University of Northampton’s School of Science and Technology on the Junkbots project; Kerrie Henton, Vice Principal at Thomas Becket School said “We are committed to environmental sustainability at Thomas Becket and any opportunity we can give our students to engage in an exiting learning opportunity that is good for the community is something we couldn’t turn down. The students and staff supporting the project have had an excellent time and the robots they produced are just superb.” 

David Barclay (14) said 'It's been very good and great fun and it has made me realise aspects about the environment that I never realised before. We have even found ways to save the school money which I am sure the Head will be pleased about'. 

The Junkbots project is funded by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd through the Single Programme and managed by the University of Northampton.   

Guest Blogger: Heathery Payne, Northamptonshire Enterprise

The Rolls-Royce Science Prize is an annual awards programme, run in conjunction with the national network of Science Learning Centres, which helps teachers implement science teaching ideas in their schools and colleges.

Two of the nine finalists in 2009, chosen from a field of 1,500 schools and colleges, come from the East Midlands! As finalists, the schools have already been awarded £6,000 to implement a science teaching project and could win a further £15,000 in this national competition.

Teachers from Kibworth Primary School in Leicestershire have developed an innovative science project, to develop a network to share information with neighbouring schools to improve science teaching and learning. Over the year the school will work to give science a higher profile by ensuring teaching assistants are engaged in science teaching. 

Staff from Moulton School and Science College in Northamptonshire have developed an exciting project, in which students will learn how forensic science techniques are used in real life police investigations. The students will develop their scientific skills across a range of disciplines including the use of DNA fingerprinting and the way in which science is applied in crime fighting.

Sue Bull, Director of the Science Learning Centre East Midlands said ““Both schools have come up with innovative and creative ideas to help develop students and staff in order to enhance science teaching and learning. I hope their projects progress well over the year and that they are successful in the final which takes place in October. ” 

Guest Blogger - Sue Bull, Science Learning Centre East Midlands

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the New Technology Initiative (NTI) announced the successful applicants of the recent Catapulting Kids Further! funding round. This provides grants to schools and businesses to create training facilities for young people to study STEM subjects in a ‘real world’ context.  

The first round of funding saw an exciting and innovative range of projects being supported. These included a twin jet engine to help contextualise engineering in the aerospace industry at Tuxford School, Nottinghamshire through to a renewable energy centre at the Meadows School in Derbyshire. Business success was also high and included Caunton Engineering Ltd (pictured) having a simulated production line and training room built to allow local students to experience high specification manufacturing in a safe environment. In total over £800,000 was awarded to create exciting facilities for studying STEM.  

The second round of funding worth over £1,600,000 has nearly been spent and thirty eight new training facilities across the region are being opened. Successful businesses who are opening their doors to local schools include a renewable energy education centre at Sasie Ltd; a construction training hub for schools & local traders at Baggaley & Jenkins Ltd; and a roofing academy at J Wright Roofing Ltd. Schools are also developing their facilities with students at Magnus CofE School, Newark soon enjoying a guitar manufacturing centre; Lodge Park School, Northamptonshire will be exploring racing at their new Motorvation Education facility and Lincoln Christ's Hospital School will be investigating STEM in their new Ballistics CSI Lab. 

To find out more about both rounds of funding please visit http://www.catapultingkidsfurther.co.uk/.

This project was funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda)

Guestblogger: Deborah Fraser; Skills Development Manager for STEM, emda

A Leicester student is the first non-Russian to be crowned winner of this year's International Space Olympics, after four Leicester colleges received funding from Aimhigher Leicester City and Leicestershire. Jonathan Bootle, 17, from Evington in Leicester, was crowned winner after he  travelled to Moscow to compete in the prestigious competition. His achievement was remarkable as it was the first time in 17 years that the title did not go to a teenager from the host country. His experience included a chance to speak to astronauts in the International Space Station. 

The competition sees students from all over the world take exams in maths, physics and creative writing – all based on space-related questions. In total 24 A-level students from four Leicester colleges attended, spending 10 days in Moscow. Several won prizes. Jonathan, a student of Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College in Leicester, said it was an amazing experience. He said: "I couldn't believe it when they said I'd won. I honestly would have never believed that could have happened. It's certainly something to talk about in my interviews to get into university.” Jonathan's prize was a Gagarin Medal and a certificate enrolling him into the Cosmonautics Federation of Russia. 

The team was led by Gateway College teacher Stuart Gill, backed by colleagues from other colleges. He won a Gagarin medal in recognition of the 10th time he had brought students to the Russian capital. He said: "It's a fantastic education opportunity for students. They mature tremendously and make friends for life. This year is an overwhelming achievement. They've done Leicester very proud." 

Neil Stock, co-ordinator for Aimhigher, which encourages students from backgrounds who would not normally consider going to university, said: "We want to stretch and challenge the more able students to go on to higher education and the International Space Olympics does just that."

Aimhigher Leicestershire: http://www.vesa.org.uk/aimhigher-leicester-shire/ 

Neil Stock, Aimhigher Leicestershire