NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 AUTUMN 2017

MISSION DISCOVERY LAUNCH The International Space School Educational Trust’s (ISSET) Mission Discovery 2017 programme began on Monday 19 June with 150 secondary school pupils taking part.

The S5 and S6 pupils from schools acrosss Ayrshire worked in mixed teams to design a suitable experiment to be tested at the International Space Station in 2018.

Following the success of last year’s Mission Discovery, this incredible opportunity was made available for students and East, North and secondary school pupils

MISSION due to sponsorship from the Foundation. Allied to the objectives of Ayrshire College, the Foundation provides financial support for Ayrshire-based projects that provide educational opportunities for all age groups.

Ayrshire College students were involved in the space school as mentors alongside local employers, teachers and lecturers. Local aeronautical businesses NATS and the DISCOVERY Glasgow Prestwick Spaceport also sponsored the main programme.

Tracey Stark, Chair of the Ayrshire College Foundation, said “The Mission Discovery programme provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ayrshire pupils and students to engage with NASA leaders.” Lainshaw Primary Visit Pupils piled into the assembly hall at Lainshaw Primary School, to hear astronaut Michael Foale talk about his six Space Shuttle missions, and his time on the Russian Mir and International Space Station. They were impressed by the videos Michael showed on how to eat, drink and float in space.

When he finished his presentation and asked for any questions, just about every hand in the room shot up faster than Michael’s rocket ever did.

It was a wonderful experience for Lainshaw Primary School who showed their appreciation at the end of the day with a thunderous round of applause for their space hero.

Michael visited the school to thank them for the highest number of entries to the mission patch competition. MISSION DISCOVERY WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Seven pupils who developed a space experiment at Mission Discovery Ayrshire 2017 will see their idea sent to space and tested Meet the by astronauts at the International Space Station.

The team consisted of: Simon Gibbons (Kyle Academy), Alex Hill (Queen Astronaut Margaret Academy), Adam Martin (Belmont Academy), Lauren McGee (Belmont Academy), Jodie McMail (St. Matthews Academy), Eva Peters Hundreds of Ayrshire residents (Grange Academy), Lee Salisbury (Garnock Academy) and Benjamin Sonnet flocked to Ayrshire College on (Auchenharvie Academy). Wednesday 21 June to hear the most experienced British-born Team 3, otherwise known as ‘Space Raiders’, was announced as the winner with astronaut, Michael Foale CBE, their idea investigating ‘The photosynthesis of phytoplankton in microgravity talk about his journeys into space. and the generation of electricity’. Winning team member Adam Martin explained “We take a petri dish filled with phytoplankton, shine a light on it so The ‘Meet the Astronaut’ night was that it undergoes photosynthesis and generates electricity, then we try to prove held at the College’s that in space it would be harnessed more efficiently and provide more electricity Campus as part of this year’s Mission for the International Space Station.” Discovery Ayrshire programme.

The winning experiment from last year is on the International Space Station Michael encouraged the younger right now being worked on by astronauts Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson. audience members to follow their Their idea investigates the growth of slime mould across various surfaces dreams and not let their head drop (rubber/aluminium/Velcro/plastic) in microgravity, and was launched to the when things don’t go quite as planned. International Space Station on 1 June on-board SpaceX CRS-11. Michael said “What I was most impressed about was the community participation.

“The kids asked me great questions and the parents were equally enthusiastic. That tells me that here in Ayrshire, of the parents and kids I’ve seen, there’s no risk to their future compared to other communities. They are so engaged with each other - the Watch parents and the kids - and interested in developing STEM. I think their future is theVideo well assured.” HERE girls gritwith 100 people came to the College’s Kilmarnock Campus to hear Sarah Murray, NASA HQs Council Executive/Mission Support and Partnership Councils, demonstrate how she showed extraordinary perseverance in dealing with sexual and racial prejudice on her way to a 25-year career at NASA.

One of the most hard-hitting points of her presentation was about her own education. Comparing answers with a male student in her university study group, Sarah realised she had the same answers as him but was given a significantly lower score. When she reached out to her lecturer for a change of grade, she was bluntly told “women do not belong in engineering.”

Despite this, Sarah carved out an incredible career at NASA, where she has been responsible for astronaut training, space walks and robotics, among other key roles. She shared techniques to build up resilience and encouraged existing STEM employees in the audience to act as mentors to any students in attendance.

Dr Philippa Whitford, MP for Central Ayrshire, shared her story of becoming a surgeon. She was also told she could not do it because of her gender. Everyone was inspired by what they heard at Girls with Grit, the latest in the College’s #ThisAyrshireGirlCan campaign to tackle the gender gap in STEM.

Jackie Galbraith, Vice Principal at Ayrshire College, said “It was inspiring to hear Sarah and Philippa sharing their stories with an audience that was aged between 10 and 70. We’re on a mission to ensure that girls and women see the potential of careers in STEM and remove any obstacles that stand in their way.”

Sarah Murray said “The phrase ‘Girls with Grit’ absolutely describes girls and women in STEM related fields, because you need to have grit to be successful.”

Would you like to be associated Get Involved with Mission Discovery? • Increase your brand awareness through exposure at • Work with us to develop the young workforce in Ayrshire this prestigious event to ensure you have the right people available to meet your skills needs • Generate strong PR coverage to enhance your reputation, improve customer loyalty and engage • Meet your corporate social responsibilities by new customers supporting students

Becoming a sponsor offers you a unique opportunity to help us change the lives of thousands of people through high quality education. Contact [email protected] Meet the Trustee VAL RUSSELL

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and a brief What did you enjoy the most at this year’s history of your career? Mission Discovery? I am proud mum of three and grandmother of four who The week was amazing and I don’t really have a favourite loves nothing better than having them all over for dinner – part. To see the enthusiasm of the young people who are preferably in the garden. Prior to joining Chamber in 1999 lucky enough to participate, to hear their ideas, be inspired my background was in the hospitality sector at senior level, by the speakers and learn something at the same time followed by a period as a civil servant with a few more was a privilege. jobs in between. Reflecting on the achievements so far for Ayrshire As Chief Executive I head up a team of 17 based at Glasgow College Foundation, what are you most proud of? Prestwick Airport giving a range of support services to There has been a wide range of projects supported by the businesses across Ayrshire and working with schools and the Foundation both large and small in financial terms, and they College to increase employer engagement. I represent the have all made a difference to lives of the people involved. I private sector on a wide range of committees, boards and am proud of them all. stakeholder groups. What would you say to encourage local groups Why did you choose to get involved with the to apply for funding from the Ayrshire College Ayrshire College Foundation? Foundation? I have always been passionate about education and helping Be innovative, dream big, have vision – we want to support young people reach their full potential. As a huge fan of projects that support the education and development of the work of Ayrshire College, becoming involved in the young people in Ayrshire. The Foundation can help you reach Foundation allowed me to further expand my relationship with your goal. Also read the information carefully to see if your the College and support the wider community. It’s great that project fits with our aims and objectives, seek advice from us if the ACF sponsored Mission Discovery this year. unsure. Make contact with the College for further guidance. AYRSHIRE COLLEGE The Ayrshire College Foundation is delighted to provide funding to improve facilities for students in Ayrshire College’s and SUMMER WORKS Campuses. Kilwinning CAMPUS In Kilwinning, there has been some major changes to the projects. campus. The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) has A new Partnership Centre is now established, a dedicated expanded by incorporating an adjacent room. The work room that partners, stakeholders and local businesses can done in the LRC includes new furniture and carpets, and use for meetings, training, celebrations etc. a brand new Quiet Study Area. The Student Association has a new office in the main foyer, There are two large tables with presentation screens that making them more visible to students and easily accessed will be useful for students who are completing group via the main reception. ​ work, along with six booths, three couch areas, and four computing stations. This will bring a more informal feel to the LRC and provide students with a pleasant area to study. In addition, there is a new office for staff working in the LRC.

As well as the main work being carried out in the Learning Resource Centre, there is bright, comfortable seating in the breakout areas on the first and second floors so that the students have somewhere comfortable to relax with friends at break times. There is also self-directed study in these areas and students can work in small groups to discuss their

The Ayr Campus Hospitality curriculum area, which is situated on the top floor of the Dam Park building, has been completely reconfigured. The new area boasts a new training restaurant, AYR CAMPUScomplete with cloakroom and wine cellar. There is a production kitchen, training kitchen and laundry room. Students will train and work in the restaurant and kitchens as part of hospitality courses to gain real life experience. Lecturers will be able to film cooking demonstrations and project these on to screens. In addition to these incredible facilities there are six refurbished classrooms.

There are new student lockers installed as a further improvement to the refurbishment of the student toilets and changing facilities that took place last year. TWO APPRENTICES CATCH-UP

Ayrshire College Foundation supports a Digital Marketing Modern Apprentice at Ayrshire College, Catriona Cook. Catriona met Worksmart’s joinery apprentice Daniel Greig for a chat about his apprenticeship and the work he’s doing on refurbishment at the College’s Ayr Campus.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your What have you been working on upstairs in the apprenticeship? Dam Park building? My name is Daniel Greig, I’m 22 years old and I’m a joinery There’s been loads going on. We ripped out of all the old apprentice with Worksmart. It’s a four year apprenticeship facilities, we’ve put in sheeting walls, fitted doors and are and I’m nearly finished my first year. working on repairs. There are other contractors working on- site too, so we’ve been working alongside them to get the What did you do before your apprenticeship? work completed on time for the staff and students returning I was actually doing another apprenticeship in engineering after summer. but was made redundant 18 months into the two year apprenticeship. I always wanted to do joinery or What’s been your favourite part of working on the engineering, so when I heard Worksmart was taking on new facilities at the College? joinery apprentices I went for it. It’s good to be working on a local project. It’s nice that I come to this college and have been working on improving I understand you come to Ayrshire College as the facilities that other students will get to use. Another part of your apprenticeship, can you tell me a bit thing that I liked was seeing the hospitality kitchens and about that? restaurants before we ripped everything out, and then I’ll The College is brilliant! I get to learn loads, and I go to get to see the finished result. the Ayr Campus where the facilities are amazing. At the moment I go to college for a two-week block then I’m on What do you plan on doing after your apprenticeship? site for two weeks. The College is great. I’d love to complete my apprenticeship, get my trade and then go abroad to work. I’d love to go and work in Canada What’s an average day like for you? where I’ve got family. The good thing about having a trade Every day is totally different – I don’t really have an average is that you can take it anywhere. day. In the morning I get all my stuff together and then work on whatever task I’ve been given for the rest of the day. I’m constantly learning new things. Latest Project

The Ayrshire College Foundation has Any innovative project will be considered. Examples of the provided £250,000 over three years for an types of applications which would be considered include: Innovating for Learning Fund to encourage creativity and improvement in curriculum • Innovation in curriculum design, content or delivery and service design, content or delivery. • Innovation in service design and delivery • Participation in new approaches to learning within or Grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 will be available outside the College to assist with implementing innovative practice to support • New approaches to learning, teaching and assessment learning and teaching, or enhance service delivery to increase student success. Proposals should take account of the changing external environment, for example: The fund has been developed to provide start-up funding for innovative or exploratory projects, and bids should focus • The importance of supporting students with particular on new approaches or initiatives that enhance learning and barriers to achieving successful outcomes teaching, service delivery and/or the student experience. Proposals can be submitted by individual curriculum and • The growth and potential of new digital technologies for service areas, or collaboratively from a number of areas. learning or support for learning • The emergence of students as consumers and their associated expectations of how the College should Application form HERE interact with them Projects which are awarded funding will demonstrate a new approach or initiative that will enhance learning and For more details please contact: teaching or service delivery.

Angela Scoular Successful projects may apply for funding for one further [email protected] year if a strong rationale is submitted before completion of the project.

In the next issue... Find out more about our Innovating for learning Fund, Enterprising Ayrshire and CoLlaborating Ayshire Projects. Follow Us

@FOUNDATION_AC Completed Projects www.ayrshirecollegefoundation.weebly.com

2015 Improvements to Ayrshire College foundation Ayr and Kilwinning campuses of Ayrshire College Improvements to Student Services, the Student Association and the Learning Resource Centre on the Ayr Campus and Student Services on the Kilwinning Campus made the services more accessible and welcoming for students. How Ayrshire Traditional Music Summer School to apply The Music School took place in Kilmarnock in July 2016, with 18 participants aged between 11 and 17 attending. FOR FUNDING

Celebration of Success/Graduation Ceremonies 2015 We supported award ceremonies for both Ayrshire College staff and students. In 2015 over 600 students graduated with HNC/HND awards and over 200 staff were given awards, recognising outstanding achievement Current for innovation, partnership, empowerment, respect, communication and equality. Projects

West Coast Varsity Project Ayrshire College Modern Apprentice: This project was proposed by the Ayrshire College Students’ Digital Marketing Assistant Association and the event was held on 27 April 2016, with We are helping to develop Ayrshire’s young workforce by over 300 students from Ayrshire College, UWS and SRUC funding an apprenticeship. Catriona Cook was appointed taking part in sports across three venues. in July 2016 and supports the Foundation with digital marketing, raising awareness of projects and the impact on Mission Discovery 2016 and 2017 young people in education in Ayrshire. The International Space School Educational Trust’s (ISSET) Mission Discovery Ayrshire 2017 programme began on 2017 Improvements to the Ayr Campus Monday 19 June for around 150 secondary school pupils Work has just been completed on a new hospitality suite and college students. on the Ayr Campus. These exciting learning spaces include an impressive training restaurant and bar with 70 covers, The participants of the educational programme work in two industrial kitchens and specialist hospitality and mixed teams to design a suitable experiment to be tested at tourism classrooms. the International Space Station.

2017 Improvements to the Kilwinning Campus

Newmilns Primary School Trim Trail Students on this campus will benefit from a new Learning Resource Centre with more computers, digital presentation The Trim Trail makes playtimes more active, challenging and areas, quiet study areas and library facilities. There is a fun for pupils. The educational play and sports equipment more accessible Student Association office and a new also encourages the children’s active, social and Partnership Centre encouraging closer links with the imaginative development. community. AYRSHIRE COLLEGE FOUNDATION 01563 523 501 ext 4078 | www.ayrshirecollegefoundation.weebly.com Princes Exchange, 1 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9EE

The Ayrshire College Foundation is a company registered in (Company Number: SC466366) and a registered Scottish charity (Charity Number: SCO44627).