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ChemLabS Summer 2011 News

August

Pioneering Bristol chemistry scheme reaches South Africa - 08/08/11

Tim Harrison, Director of Outreach at Bristol ChemLabS spent four days working at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg, the country's biggest science centre, where he delivered a series of seven lecture demonstrations to 2100 youngsters aged from 12 to 17 from a wide variety of state and independent schools in the surrounding area and Soweto.

The lecture entitled 'A Chemical Delight' looks at the chemical industry, explaining what is and what isn't a chemical reaction by showing some simple chemical kinetics. The demonstrations include many of the reactions which have inspired generations of chemists such as work with liquid nitrogen, hydrogen explosions, iodine clock reactions and the ability of disposable babies' nappies to absorb urine.

It was the second working visit by Tim to the centre in two years, where he's previously trained Sci-Bono demonstrators to deliver chemistry outreach programmes which are similar to the ones That Bristol ChemLabS does in schools across the UK.

The other lecture demonstration, entitled 'A Pollutant's Tale', which has been performed nearly 900 times in the last six years by Bristol University staff, is now performed by Sci-Bono demonstrators to approximately 2000 students per month in Johannesburg. It is also performed in the Eastern and Western Cape regions by students from Rhodes University's School of Chemistry.

Whilst at the centre, Tim also gave further advice on the set-up of the chemistry laboratory and preparation room in addition to training demonstrators about kinetics and perfume chemistry.

The visit was sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry South African (North) branch.

July

Bristol ChemLabS Postgraduate Teaching Prizes - 13/07/11

Four years ago, Bristol ChemLabS instituted a series of annual Postgraduate Teaching Prizes to recognise formally the highest quality delivery of tutoring and demonstrating.


Shirin Alexander	George Dowson	Gayle Hallett	Mark Kent

This year, the 2011 Bristol ChemLabS Postgraduate Teaching Prizes have been awarded to Shirin Alexander, George Dowson, Gayle Hallett and Mark Kent to recognize their exceptional contributions. Well done to all!

June

Bristol ChemLabS Outreach gets Big Tick Reaccreditation for the Second Year in a Row - 8/06/11

Bristol ChemLabS is delighted to announce that its Schools Outreach programme has retained its Big Tick status in the Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) 2011 Awards for Excellence for the second year in a row.

Bristol ChemLabS achieved the Big Tick in the 2009 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Education Award for its outreach and engagement activities with schools, teachers and students of all ages which were judged to have made a strikingly positive and sustained impact on the community. ChemLabS was also ‘Highly Commended’ in this category at a reception which took place at St James’s Palace. Last year and now again this year, ChemLabS has been able to demonstrate that it is still a fantastic example of sustainable outreach that continues to have a significant and positive impact both nationally and internationally.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Avril Waterman-Pearson said: ‘We are delighted that Bristol ChemLabS has been reaccredited in the 2011 Awards for Excellence. Its schools outreach programme continues to have a significant impact on the aspirations and achievements of young people, and the award reflects a huge amount of inspired work on the part of the ChemLabS team.’

Bristol ChemLabS was presented with a Big Tick reaccreditation certificate at St George's in Bristol on June 7 by Jo Le Poidevin, Regional Director of Business in the Community

For the University of Bristol press release, click here

May

Bristol ChemLabS Wins Green Impact Award - 24/05/11

Green Impact is an environmental accreditation scheme run by the University of Bristol's sustainability department. Bristol was the first University to do Green Impact which is now in its 3rd year and is undertaken by 35 universities across the country. Green Impact challenges departments, or teams within them, to implement a number of easy practical actions that will help the environment including reducing waste, promoting sustainable travel, and energy saving equipment shutdown plans for vacation periods.

Bristol ChemLabS, comprising a team made up of Steve Croker, Ian Nichols, Hugh James, Belinda Burke, Pauline Radnedge and Matthew Sawyer, and led in this initiative by Lisa Johnsey, signed up for the Green Impact scheme last year and have now won a Bronze Plus Award.