From Robots to Flowers: Local Pupils Showcase STEM Projects
Around 100 local school pupils demonstrated their STEM skills at Dundee Science Centre yesterday (Thursday, 28 April 2022), the Centre’s first major event since lockdown.
Youngsters from primary and secondary schools throughout Dundee, Fife, Angus and Perth and Kinross attended the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland (YESC) Dundee Celebration Event.
Teams of six pupils showcased a fabulous variety of STEM projects undertaken within school, covering everything from robotics and climate to flower dissection.
The pupils from primary five to S3 also met and interacted with engineers from various local businesses while learning about the career opportunities open to them, namely: SHELL U.K. Limited, Dundee and Angus College, Nature Scot, Highlands and Islands Airport, KAEFER, BSW Timber and Tilhill.
Last but not least, pupils were tasked to compete in a range of fun, five-minute STEM challenges set by the industry partners, from catapult building and electrical wiring to making a table from sawlog components, ‘guess the wood’ activity and a scaffolding challenge.
Thomas Wild, Programme Manager at YESC, a branch of SCDI, said, “YESC has been delivering hands-on celebration events for years, bringing together people from STEM industries with teachers and pupils. We are delighted to be back delivering face-to-face events across Scotland. These events are crucial in showing young people how exciting a career in STEM can be. The buzz and excitement, as well as the levels of engagement at a live event, have been sorely missed over the last two years.”
Lorraine Lemon, Head of Business and Operations, Dundee Science Centre added, “It was a real privilege seeing today’s showcase of talent, ideas and ingenuity, demonstrated by local pupils of all ages and abilities. For industries to succeed and thrive, they need the best engineers, scientists, mathematicians and people with technological skills and it’s exciting to see the potential that exists right here on our doorstep. As a Science Centre, we love seeing youngsters’ imaginations come alive, these lightbulb moments when something clicks, or an idea forms. That’s what STEM should be about and today was a great celebration of that.”
The schools which took part are Blackness Primary and Fintry Primary in Dundee, Kinross High in Perth and Kinross and Carnoustie High in Angus. Meanwhile, Fife Council was represented by Bellyeoman Primary, Canmore Primary, Crail Primary, Dunbog Primary, Lumphinnans Primary, St Joseph’s RC Primary, St Paul’s Academy and St Margaret’s Primary.
For more information, visit www.dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or http://www.scdi.org.uk/yesc/
ENDS
Notes to Editors
YESC: Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland (YESC) is SCDI’s positive response to Scotland’s STEM skills shortage and has been running since 1987.
To spark enthusiasm in STEM subjects and careers, we promote STEM clubs and support teachers in every local authority in Scotland. We are one of the largest STEM providers covering the whole of Scotland, with 1600 registered clubs involving an estimated 35,000 young people.
The key aims of YESC are:
To enthuse young people about STEM through engaging them in exciting, fun, hands-on STEM projects;
To encourage young people to make the subject choices that keep open the routes into a career in STEM;
To better inform young people and teachers about the range of STEM careers available and possible career pathways;
To encourage more girls to study STEM subjects and pursue STEM careers.