A message from Lord Andrew Mawson OBE Co-Founder, Science Summer School and Chairman, Well North Enterprises
Welcome to the 400 young people and teachers attending our first Science Summer School Northern Ireland. I hope you all enjoy your visit to the beautiful Braid Civic Centre here in Ballymena, hearing such inspirational speakers and having fun visiting the many exciting workshops on offer. Knowledge is power so be curious and absorb as much as you can. Today may also help spark your ideas about future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
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In 2012, Professor Brian Cox CBE and I co-founded the Science Summer School in a forgotten area of east London with two very challenging housing estates, poor health provision, a failing school and a dysfunctional community. The only way was up (or close down)! A new secondary school was built, led by a brilliant headteacher and staff, with STEAM subjects at the heart of the curriculum. A health centre and a pharmacy soon followed. Local business got involved mentoring students. Over time positive things started to happen to the school and the area. Exam results improved and more local people started to send their children to the school. In 2020 St Paul’s Way Trust School saw 66% of sixth-form students progress to Elite Russell Group Universities. This was our first experience of creating an Innovation Platform to bring together the community, education, health, business and creative sectors. ‘Joining the dots’ has helped to improve this area and the lives of the people living there and it’s a model we share wherever there is interest. Critically, a successful community also needs an effective careers pipeline connecting young people to the many local work opportunities available in
these sectors. This complements Brian’s vision “to make the UK the best place to do science and engineering”. STEAM is where the new jobs of today and tomorrow exist. That is what today is all about. The east London science school celebrated its 10th anniversary in July 2021 and Well North Enterprises began to ‘roll out’ the programme nationally with the first Skelmersdale Science School also in 2021. Fast forward and the third North Star Science School, Rotherham and the first Brooklands Innovation Academy, Surrey both take place later this month. Our 2020 launch in Northern Ireland was delayed by the pandemic but this has enabled us to develop a close working association with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and connect with many local businesses through The Manufacturing Task Force. As a result an exciting series of STEAM activities and relationships has developed inspired by today’s event. We look forward to continuing this work in collaboration with our partners to build something special and long-lasting for the young people of Ballymena, Mid and East Antrim and Northern Ireland.
Science Summer School Northern Ireland could not happen without the vision and support of an outstanding group of companies generously supporting this year’s event. My grateful thanks to Ryobi our Headline Sponsor, and Almac Group, IPC Mouldings, Michelin Development, Northern Regional College, Randox Laboratories and Terumo BCT. My thanks also to Rhonda Lynn and her fantastic team of Christine Barnhill, Ann Doran, Danielle Gillan and Patricia Strain at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and to Graham Whitehurst MBE, Chair of Mid and East Antrim’s Manufacturing Task Force.
Check out this QR code for more information on Science Summer School.
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