Outreach News Spring 2008

April

Watch a clip from ITV Channel News about the Jersey Science Week

Report on the Jersey Science Week in the University's News section

Science Comes Alive in Jersey Schools–03/04/08

Students in Jersey between the ages of 5 and 18 are having science lessons that are even more exciting than normal during the Jersey Science Week. The Bristol Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs), Bristol ChemLabS and AIMS, have jointly created the Jersey Science Week, which is run by the Department for Education, Sport & Culture for the first time in order to inspire, enthuse, excite and educate tomorrow’s potential scientists and raise their aspirations and achievement.

Sarah Johnson, from the Department for Education, Sport & Culture, says “We are delighted that this wide range of novel and exciting workshops will be offered to local primary, secondary and post-16 students”.

More details

March

Bristol scientists reach out to help primary schools in Turkey–07/03/08

Turkish educators at Cam Woodfield School A group of Turkish education experts visited Bristol ChemLabS 11 to 15 February to gather information about Bristol University’s science engagement activities. It is hoped that the fact-finding exercise will help them develop their own outreach programmes to take back and employ in primary schools in rural parts of Turkey.

Led by Tim Harrison and Dudley Shallcross, with Professor Mustafa Erol from Bozok University in Turkey, the group visited a number of schools to observe different types of mobile science teaching. This included a Primary Science Visit at The Croft Primary School, Painswick, Gloucestershire.

The team also took a look at the Mobile Teaching Unit in action at Cam Woodfield Junior School in Dursley, Gloucestershire.

The team also looked at the online primary science quiz and Chem@rt competitions.

February

Bristol ChemLabS to Work on Indian Outreach Initiatives–27/02/08

Chem@rt 2008 launched–15/02/08

A gallery of new dazzling and intriguing images drawn from research and outreach activities undertaken at the University of Bristol is now available for primary schools to download.

Chem@rt, a Bristol ChemLabS initiative to bring chemistry into the primary school classroom as well as stimulate literacy and creativity, is now open to primary schools anywhere in the world. Schools are encouraged to use the images as part of the Chem@rt competition, although they can also just exhibit them. Schools local to Bristol may also request a visit after completing the project.

Schools local to the University of Bristol will receive an invitation but if you have not or are not local and would be interested in obtaining a current set of images please fill in the registration form (23kb PDF) or contact Steve Croker.

Chem@rt webpage

Chem@rt006 - The Winners' Celebration

Chem@rt007 Visits

Article about Chem@rt (309kb PDF)

January

Awards for Bristol ChemLabS Staff–15/01/08

Two members of Bristol ChemLabS involved in Outreach have won awards.

Steve Croker, the Senior Chemistry Technician who many will recognise if they have brought school groups to work in the laboratories, won the Teaching Support Award.

Bristol ChemLabS Manager David Smith was given the 2007/8 Engagement Award in the Faculty of Science by the Engaged University Steering Group. This faculty award was won jointly by Dudley Shallcross and Tim Harrison last year.

The Engagement Awards are for an individual or a group of individuals who demonstrate exceptional and/or innovative 'engagement' practices (as defined by the University's 'Engaged University' report).

A third award, the Teaching and Learning Prize, was made to Russell Cox, another member of Bristol ChemLabS.