STEM Ambassador Newsletter
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Winchester Science Centre Newsletter View Online STEM Ambassador Newsletter Dear STEM Ambassadors, Welcome to the latest newsletter for STEM Ambassadors in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The holiday season is upon us, but don't let that fool you! The STEM team still have plenty of STEM events and activities for you to engage with in the coming months. In this newsletter you will find some select highlights from past events and even more wonderful opportunities in the New Year. These include: STEM Ambassador training: Become a CREST Assessor Future Debates: Can robots be caregivers? STEM Apprenticeships Careers Fair 'People Like Me' Diversity Training Big Bang @ Richard Taunton Sixth Form I am delighted to introduce our newest member of the STEM Team, Harry Hornsby, Harry has a background in marine biology and a keen interest in STEM communication. Please do get in touch with Harry for any school related queries. As always, thank you all for your fantastic support this year and I look forward to working together in 2016. Kind regards, Emily Thorpe-Smith STEM Resources Manager STEM News International Men’s Day: Gadgets and Gizmos On Thursday 19th November 2015, Winchester Science Centre opened its doors to 120 male students and 25 male STEM Ambassadors for a day of gadgets, gizmos and careers. Every student took part in 3 STEM Challenges, mentored by male STEM Ambassadors from a wide range of STEM backgrounds. They used robotic arms to dismantle structures, made a remote control car fly through the air and finally built and raced their own Bristlebots! The students also took part in a careers speed-networking session. This was aimed to give students a brief insight into the variety of STEM careers represented by the STEM Ambassadors. The day culminated with a fantastic planetarium show, in the state of the art 360° planetarium. A STEM Ambassador said “I really enjoyed myself and came away with a great sense of achievement! I really can't wait to get involved again.” A STEM Teacher said “The students really enjoyed it, thank you. The planetarium show was the icing on the cake!”. The STEM Team Please get in touch if you would like support with planning STEM events or contacting schools. Emily Thorpe-Smith - STEM Resources Manager Carol Smith - STEM Administrator Harry Hornsby - STEM Schools Liaison Officer Please continue to send feedback on STEM activities After each STEM Activity, STEM Ambassadors are sent an online survey to ask for their views of the event. (The survey has recently been revamped and is now much simpler and quicker to complete.) Online feedback via this link is greatly appreciated and used to improve future events. Please visit http://sgiz.mobi/s3/Hampshire to give feedback on a recent STEM activity. Twitter The STEM team at Winchester Science Centre are now spreading the STEM word on Twitter, please follow us @STEMHants . If you are promoting a STEM activity via Twitter, please use #STEMHants to help publicise your event. Become a STEM Ambassador Do you know someone who would like to become a STEM Ambassador? The STEM Ambassadors Programme enables anyone with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills to inspire young people and demonstrate the possibilities of STEM subjects and careers. Anyone who uses STEM skills, and is willing and able to encourage young people to pursue STEM subjects, can apply to become a STEM Ambassador at https://db.stemnet.org.uk/register/ambassador . Female applicants are especially welcome, as women are still underrepresented on this scheme. CREST Assessor Training CREST Awards are an excellent way of encouraging students to show creativity and dedication with STEM projects. More local schools are registering their students for these awards and CREST assessors are in demand! If you are interested in talking to students about their project work and deciding whether they have achieved the required standard, please register your interest by clicking here. 'People Like Me' Diversity Training The STEM Team at Winchester Science Centre are pleased to announce that STEMNET is teaming up with WISE to deliver training sessions to STEM Teachers. This training session will explore new approaches, resources and promotional material to encourage underrepresented groups to consider STEM careers, especially young females. If you would like to attend this training session please book your place by clicking here. If you have any further questions please contact Emily STEM Company Opportunities The Engineering Development Trust are running their annual STEM Go4SET project in Hampshire launching on 2nd March at the National Oceanography Centre and holding the Celebration and Assessment Day during May 2016 at CEMAST in Fareham. In summary the partnerships last year supported nine teams of six students who were mentored by local companies through a 10 week STEM related project ‘My School is an Island’. This year companies and schools will be able to choose from a number of STEM related projects which will enable the development of employability skills and career pathways whilst changing perceptions about STEM. Would your organisation be interested in participating in this programme? As with last year the sponsorship cost is £850 + VAT per team. Please contact Helen Gers on [email protected] or 07834561239 Can robots be caregivers? Tuesday 9th February 2016 5.30pm to 7.00pm A chance to debate and discuss how the future of autonomous robotics could revolutionise the care system. The National Health Service and our private care providers need more support than ever to supply the demand for care, could robots be the answer? But, can robots really show the compassion needed for human care? The debate continues… Book free tickets:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/future-debates-winchester-science-centre-tickets-19317488127 STEM Apprenticeships Careers Fair Thursday 17th March - 3.45am - 5.30pm. Winchester Science Centre, Telegraph Way, SO21 1HZ. The STEM Team at Winchester Science Centre is planning a STEM Apprenticeships Fair for students throughout Hampshire to attend. The event is aimed to highlight the plethora of apprenticeships opportunities within the STEM industries in our local area. There are two ways in which STEM Ambassadors can support this event; with an exhibition stand or general entry. The team would like to invite STEM companies, ambassadors and educational establishments to bring along an exhibition stand to promote the apprenticeship routes available for secondary schools students. The team would like apprenticeships of all educational levels e.g. post-16 or graduate. It would also be wonderful if you could bring along a current apprentice as further role models within your industry, however this is not essential. In addition to the exhibition stands it would also be wonderful if ambassadors could also give a short 10 minute talk on the apprenticeship options within your company. The hope is that these talks will add some formality to the event. Places for talks are limited. Alternatively if you do not have an exhibition stand, but you do have a keen interest in STEM apprenticeships, please book a general entry ticket and we would love to see you on the day. If you are interested in supporting this event please book you place via the Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stem-apprenticeships-fair-tickets-19821831632 Upcoming Requests from Schools All events can be found http://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/stemnet/upcoming-stem-activities-events/ . To find local schools, please click on your preferred area. Portsmouth Southampton Central Hampshire North Hampshire Isle of Wight Recording STEM Ambassador Activity on the STEMNET Database Please click http://www.winchestersciencecentre.org/stemnet/stem-ambassadors/how-to-log-a-stem-ambassador- activity/#.VVtBbI5VhBc for a quick guide. Each time a STEM Ambassador records a STEM activity on the STEMNET database, their name is entered into a prize draw. Congratulations to the STEM Ambassador who won the prize for November. They were able to choose either a good bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers. Portsmouth Events REQ 370: STEM Ambassador Needed to Discuss Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Various Schools in Hampshire North Hampshire, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight GIS Research UK (GISRUK 2016) have offered schools within Hampshire the opportunity to attend their academic conference at the University of Greenwich, London. The GISRUK representatives would love STEM Ambassadors with a knowledge of GIS to attend the delegate schools and discuss GIS and give a demonstration of it uses within your sector. REQ 398: Short Careers Talks Needed for Triple Science Students at Hamble College Thursday 10th, Tuesday 15th December 2015 - 9.00am - 2.30pm Hamble College is running a Science Conference for their high achieving students, with an aim to encourage them to consider STEM courses and industries post-16. STEM Ambassadors would give a short 5-10 minute talk on their STEM career. REQ 369: Exhibitors Stands Wanted for a NHS Careers Day at Havant Academy Thursday 14th January - 8.30am - 1.10pm The Career Department at Havant Academy is planning a NHS Careers Day to explore the variety of employment opportunities with the NHS and medical sciences sector. The morning assembly will be dedicated to introducing the medical sector. The school would like STEM Ambassadors form a Q & A panel for students to interact with throughout the assembly. The schools would also love ambassadors to support this event by bringing along an exhibitors stand for students visit during break and lunch. This will aid informal careers talks with students from all year groups. REQ 390: Exhibition Stands Needed for Careers Fair at Priory School Tuesday 23rd February - 10.00am - 4.00pm The careers team at Priory School would like STEM Ambassadors to bring an exhibitors stand for students to visit throughout the day and discuss the careers possibilities and progression pathways with your company, organisation or sector.