Inside STEM Spring 2015

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SPRING ISSUE 2015

Nationally coordinated by STEMNET

Nationally coordinated by STEMNET

welcome

As you may be aware, STEMNET have made some recent changes to the way you can view STEM Ambassador Requests to reduce time and make the process more efficient for you! By adding all the requests for the North East of Scotland to the STEMNET database, we hope to provide you with a greater insight of what opportunities are available in your local area at any one time.

You will find a guide on how to view and sign up for STEM Ambassador requests included in this month’s Inside STEM. As well as posting all our activities on the database, we will continue to send out regular updates to you, particularly for requests where teachers are looking for expertise. If you can’t find a suitable activity, let us know what you are interested in and we will try our best to arrange a suitable activity.

If any new STEM Ambassadors are yet to plan a STEM activity in schools, or would like some ideas, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We can have a chat, share ideas and even buddy you up with another Ambassador to get you started.

Over the last few months, there has been a huge uptake in joining the STEM Ambassador scheme in the North East of Scotland, particularly from companies such as GE Oil & Gas, ConocoPhillips, University of Aberdeen and University of Dundee.

We currently have 635 approved Ambassadors across the region working with local schools and communities.

Following the success of our STEM In Context events in February at North East Scotland College and Dundee Science Centre, there will be more dates across the region for September 2015 and January 2016 coming soon. These networking events are unique opportunities for STEM Ambassadors to meet with teachers, and discuss how you can work together and plan support.

As always we are only at the other end of the phone or an email away should you have any questions or would like our support. You can contact us at ambassadors@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or by calling 01382 868610.

You can also follow us on twitter @dundeestemlearn for all our latest updates!

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Rebecca MacLennan STEM Learning Manager

How to view and sign up for STEM Ambassador requests • Login to your STEM Ambassador profile; db.stemnet.org.uk/login • Under “Ambassadors” on the left hand side of the page click on ‘Search STEM Ambassador requests’ • You can filter STEM Ambassador requests by using the ‘keywords’ function.

• To view more information about a specific request, such as location or timing, simply click on the activity of interest.

• If you would like to sign up or find out further information about an activity, select the ‘Express Interest’ icon on the top left of the ‘STEM Ambassador Request Profile’ • A confirmation that you have expressed interest in an activity will show on your screen

Update your Profile!

Please remember to keep your STEM Ambassador profile up to date by adding all your activities. If you don’t have the time, let us know what you’ve been up to or planned and we can add activities for you! Please also make sure you have informed us of activities in advanced so you are covered by STEMNET’s Insurance.

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I’m a Scientist / Engineer Get me out of here!

I’m a Scientist / Engineer, Get me out of here! are free events where school students get the opportunity to meet and interact with scientists and engineers online. Students challenge the experts over fast-paced online text-based live chats asking them anything they want about their specialism. Students then vote for their favourite to win a prize of £500 to communicate their work with the public.

This competition has proved to be a massive success across the country as students see that scientists and engineers are normal people, learn how TSME lessons relate to real life and become more enthused about the subject.

I'm a Scientist and I'm an Engineer return this June (Monday 15 – Friday 26) for another two weeks of live chats and questions from students across the country.

Teachers apply before Sunday 26 April Scientists and Engineers apply before Tuesday 5 May If you would like to find out more information about I’m an Engineer/Scientist, visit the following websites; imanengineer.org.uk / imascientist.org.uk Participate, and you too could win a prize of £500 to communicate your work to the public like Neil and Jennifer!

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Neil Taylor winner of

I’m an Engineer

Get me out of here Neil Taylor is the winner of I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here! Safety Zone, back in March where 25 engineers and students from nearly 50 schools participated across 5 zones. We caught up with Neil to find out about his experience.

Q. What is most enjoyable about being an Engineer?

There are a lot of fun aspects of being an engineer, but I think the best parts are solving tough problems and getting that great feeling afterwards, along with seeing your work put into practice! This might be a solution that you have come up with being used, or a design being built.

What other profession lets you come up with an idea, prove that it works with calculations, communicate it, and then see it put into practice or built?!

Q. What was your favourite question?

"How is engineering going to affect the future?"

I think there is scope for some really awesome things to happen in the future! These include in robotics (making really intelligent robots to do things like disarm bombs), and biomedical engineering (making limbs that that are hyper-realistic)... but I think that the biggest challenge that will face engineers in the future is going to be generating and conserving energy.

One thing’s for sure - the 21st Century will be an exciting and challenging time to be an engineer!

Q. What will you be doing with the £500 prize money?

Recently, "Room Escape" games have become popular, and I really enjoy taking part in them! The idea is that you work together with your friends to unlock a final door or find a final object in a room within an hour time-limit by finding and solving clues/puzzles/mysteries... It's kind of like the "Mystery" games on the Crystal Maze.

The challenges typically lead on from one another: finding a key may open a box that is locked; solving a puzzle may give you the 4 digits for a combination lock that is locking a drawer; or solving a riddle may tell you where to look to find the next clue.

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The population of the world is still increasing, and energy demand is set to rise. In the future, we will need to rely on an energy mix that has less fossil fuels and more of (probably) renewable and nuclear

We will not only need engineers with the skills to work in these areas of energy, but also engineers to work in areas that focus on efficiency. I think one of the most exciting areas of future engineering is that around “future proofing” cities. That is, when we are building cities, or making existing cities larger, we should think about how they can make them as energy-efficient as possible so that we can save energy. This will include planning for them to be low-carbon and able to withstand natural disasters

My idea is to use the prize money to invest in materials to design and create props for a STEM-based version of this to be used in schools.

It would be on a smaller scale, and would be designed to be set up in a school for teams of around 4 students... so would be more of a "Puzzle Scenario" rather than a "Room Escape".

It probably wouldn't be as polished as what the professionals can come up with, but I think something really valuable and fun could be put together. I was thinking of puzzles that included shapes/weights/lasers/moments/periodic table/electronics etc. to get numbers to open the combination locks, for example.

Hopefully it would promote teamwork/problem solving in ways that aren't often able to be practised/ taught/measured in the classroom environment. The idea is in very early stages, and I think the best way to figure out if the ideas are practical/realistic are to put them into practice... in true engineering style!

Q. Would you recommend the competition to other STEM Ambassadors?

I would absolutely recommend the competition to other STEM Ambassadors!

As well as the great feeling of giving back to engineering and investing in the next generation, I’ve learnt so much through the other engineers and the breadth and depth of questions from students through the competition. There were questions that I probably don’t ask myself enough: "What are the parts of engineering I like the most?”

“What do I plan to do in the future?”

“Why should I recommend engineering?”

I’ve enjoyed answering questions on pipeline materials, Archimedes (the Ancient Greek!), pipeline behaviour, osmium (didn’t know anything about this beforehand!), engineering challenges for the future, and the gender issue in engineering… and consolidated my own understanding/learnt new things along the way. It has been a lot of fun!

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Jennifer Stephens winner of

I’m a Scientist,

Get me out of here!

Jennifer Stephens won I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! and was kind enough to share her experience with us.

Q. What is most enjoyable about being a Scientist?

The best thing is getting to work with other Scientists from all over the world. One day I may be working on a project with someone in Canada and the next a lab in China. We also get the opportunity to travel to meet up with other Scientists at conferences and events.

Q. What was your favourite question?

There were lots of great questions, some really stretched the brain. One in particular I remember was “Is it possible to be bitten by a radioactive spider and become Spider-Man?”

Q. What will you be doing with the prize money?

With the prize money I’ve started a website Sciphun.com to promote science and science careers to young people. Each month I feature a different Scientist and give a more in depth view of their day to day job. I also promote free iPad apps that are great for learning more about all types of sciences.

Q. Would you recommend the competition to other STEM Ambassadors?

Absolutely, it reminded me how much fun everything is when you’re learning. And the students were great, very enthusiastic with lots of great questions.

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Meet the STEM Ambassador “There is a form of outreach activity suited to everyone’s personality and confidence: I’ve gone into schools with nothing but a PowerPoint presentation detailing my career and been called “cool” (and I don’t think it was sarcastic!); I’ve worked as part of a team at regional Big Bang Fairs and museums and I’ve “gone it alone” with my own brand of, shall we say, “highly visual” demonstrative lecture! Each has its place, purpose, strengths and weaknesses but all are highly enjoyable.

I’ve done some form of outreach in every country in the British Isles except Wales, which remains on my bucket list!”

We love the opportunity to tell everyone about the unique and inspirational work of our STEM Ambassadors, and will use Inside STEM as an opportunity to share with the STEM community the amazing work that local Ambassadors are involved in.

Dr David Foley, Chemist Dr David Foley has been a STEM Ambassador since 2010, although his first taste of outreach goes back to his work with the RSC Younger Members group in Manchester during his PhD, where he regularly put on activities at the Museum of Science and Industry. David was fortunate to have had a PhD supervisor (Prof. Patrick Bailey) who was a bit of a pyromaniac and encouraged everyone in his group to get involved in outreach.

David has worked at several institutions during his career so far and has been fortunate to have time to learn from some legends of chemistry outreach including Sarah Heath at Manchester, Sam Tang and Pete Licence (of the Periodic Table of Videos fame) and Graeme Jones (MakeItMolecular) and he still “steals” some of their “spiels” in his own talks today!

Some of David’s personal highlights include: • Parading down the high street of Bollington in 2009 with a giant Buckyball whilst singing the “Match of the Day” theme tune through a megaphone; • Returning to his old secondary school in 2010 to deliver a careers talk (and mock his English teacher!)

• Participating in "I'm A Scientist Get Me Out of Here" and the Dundee Science Festival from last year, in particular “initiating” one of his colleagues in the joys of setting fire to things at the Steeple Church.” “ I’m particularly keen to let people know that chemistry is alive and well at the University of Dundee (in the form of the Drug Discovery Unit which employs around 40 chemists). If anyone wants to help me spread the word about the power of chemistry they can follow or tweet me @medchemdave” If you would like to share your experiences and inspire others to be active in the STEM community, then send an email or call us and you could feature in a future edition of Inside STEM!

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Are you a programmer or web developer?

Are you a programmer or web developer? Have you done some coding in the past? Perhaps you have no previous computer coding experiences but you are willing to learn ahead of the children?

Volunteer with Code Clubs!!

Code Club is about fun, creativity and learning through exploring. Learning to code is an important skill now we’re living in a digital age. However, learning to code does not just mean you can become a games or software developer; it strengthens problem solving skills and logical thinking and supports key academic subjects such as science, maths and technology.

Code Club is a nationwide network of coding clubs for typically 9-11 year olds. They provide some fantastic teaching materials for volunteers and full training is provided, so all they need is someone keen to help them. Their aim is for every school to have a Code Club, however they need volunteers to make their dream a reality.

To find out more information, you can get in touch with Code Club Scotland Coordinators and active STEM Ambassadors - Lorna Gibson (@CodeClubLorna) and Martin Evans (@lostcaggy) by emailing scotland@codeclub.org.uk.

You can sign up online at www.codeclub.org.uk and even look to see which local schools are currently advertising for a volunteer.

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Big Bang Fair 2015

Big Bang Fair 2015, NEC Birmingham The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK and takes place annually in March. The event aims to inspire our future scientists and engineers through exciting hands on activities and interactive exhibits.

We caught up with Judith Hendry to find out how her trip to the fair at the NEC, Birmingham went.

“My name is Judith Hendry and I work in the sales department of Johnson Matthey Battery Systems UK. I have always been keen on volunteer work so when I had a chance to become a STEM Ambassador I jumped at the chance 18 months ago. Being part of JM means that I get to travel and help children, not just within the local area but now further afield as well… For someone who loves to travel, this is an added bonus of the STEM Ambassador scheme.

I was chosen to represent JM at this year Big Bang event at the NECC. Our stand at the exhibition was very busy, from a Scaletrix track being activated by wind power, to whoosh bottle experiments and quiz, the JM stand had plenty visitors. This was exciting but slightly scary for me as I was out of my comfort zone, not usually working with the public. However, after a few hours I really got into it. For any new STEM Ambassadors I would certainly recommend jumping in at the deep end at an event such as this.

I had a great sense of achievement and am greatly looking forward to the next event!!”

To find out more, visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk

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National Events There are always plenty of events taking place across the UK and beyond, so if you get involved in an event that hasn’t been advertised by Dundee Science Centre please let us know. We would be delighted to hear what you’re up to and the activity could be logged on your STEM Ambassador profile.

Aberdeen Science Centre Large Hadron Collider Exhibition For the first time in Aberdeen, the Large Hadron Collider (the LHC) and its experiments will be showcased in Aberdeen Science Centre. You will be able to walk through a full-size replica of a section of the LHC tunnel which allowed scientists to discover the Higgs Boson in 2012.

Come and see for yourself how the LHC, the world’s most powerful atom smasher, is used to answer fundamental questions about the building blocks of the Universe, thanks to the interactive exhibit which is being brought to Aberdeen by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) in partnership with the Institute of Physics.

The LHC on Tour exhibition at Aberdeen Science Centre is open to the general public 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday, and 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, to Sunday 14 June 2015.

Let us know if you’d be interested in getting involved with events and activities relating to the exhibition, as a STEM Ambassador.

Assertiveness in the work place - Free one-day course aimed at women who would like to become more assertive in their workplace.

Are you able to voice your real opinions with colleagues? Do you find it difficult to say no? Would you like to assert your position during negotiations more effectively? Assertiveness is an essential skill to develop your career.

National Women in Engineering Day National Women in Engineering Day was set up by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to celebrate its 95th anniversary. The aim is to celebrate the work that women do in engineering, and to showcase the great engineering careers that are available for girls. WES are calling on all groups (Governmental, educational, corporate, Professional Engineering Institutions, individuals and other organisations) to organise their own events in support of the day, and link them together for maximum impact through the use of the NWED logo, supporting resources and twitter @nwed2015 #nwed Friday 23 June http://www.nwed.org.uk Prestige Event - Raspberry Pi from concept to creative platform Pete Lomas - Co-founder and trustee of the Raspberry Pi foundation Raspberry Pi: an affordable credit card sized computer; a modest collaboration between Cambridge University and Norcott Technologies which, in three years, has sold over 5 million units.

This lecture will follow the development of the Raspberry Pi discussing some of the engineering and commercial challenges faced.

Thursday 11 June Aberdeen Business School, RGU Garthdee Campus www.theiet.org/events

The next assertiveness course is running in Aberdeen on Wednesday 27 May http://www.equatescotland.org.uk/women/ workshops/assertiveness-workplace inside stem

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