Tuesday 19 January 2010

CSI Miami, New York or Falkirk?

Forth Valley College students were on hand yesterday to help school pupils enter the gritty world of forensics using physical evidence to solve a grisly crime!

SCiTEQ was launched yesterday at St Mungo’s High School where 240 S2 pupils used forensic science to solve a crime based in a supermarket using finger printing, blood analysis, trace evidence, toxicology and chromatography.

The SCiTEQ programme pulls together a number of science and technology based events and activities in Falkirk Council schools – Science Squads from Forth Valley College, the INEOS Science, Engineering and Technology Fair and a number of small school festivals throughout the year as well as other activities - aimed at young people from P6 to S2. SCiTEQ will take pupils on a journey which could ultimately help them forge a career using the science and technology skills and experience picked up in school!

Overall the forensics based experience will be delivered to 1,700 S2 pupils in secondary schools across the Falkirk Council area over the coming months.

Councillor Craig Martin, Convener of Economic Strategy and Development said: “We work hard to support the development of Science and Technology based industries as part of My Future’s in Falkirk. A large part of this support focuses on young people having the enthusiasm, aspiration and opportunity to follow a career in this sector.

“SCiTEQ is a co-ordinated approach, involving a number of partners, to bring science and technology to life for young people. Pupils from primary six to secondary two will have access to a wide range of activities – all part of the SCiTEQ journey to ensure that pupils can make fully informed decisions when it is time to choose subjects which will influence their future careers.

“My Future’s in Falkirk continues to be effective in making the Falkirk Council area a better place to live, learn, work and play.”

The SCiTEQ programme includes:

The INEOS Science, Engineering and Technology Fair, held annually at the Grangemouth Stadium for all 1400 pupils in primary seven
The Science Squad experience for pupils in S2. This has run for the last five years at Forth Valley College for small groups of pupils. This year, for the first time, the College is delivering a forensics-based experience in schools for all 1700 pupils in S2 and is supported by Science Ambassadors from Global Science
A series of science and technology festivals to be held in every high school involving local science and technology based businesses and aimed at every S1 pupil.

Dr Wendy Livingstone, Associate Principal for Business and Innovation at Forth Valley College said: “We are delighted to be involved in the SCiTEQ programme and we feel really positive that the initiative is going to encourage more and more young people to consider science as a career option.

“The forensics science experience will be a great way to engage with school pupils and show how science can be relevant in society today. We’ve ran similar activities in the college previously and they’ve always been a fantastic success with pupils leaving with a fresh perspective on studying science.

“Our students are really excited about getting out to schools as part of the Science Squads. We’re hoping their enthusiasm rubs off on the pupils and they show how science can be interesting and fun.”

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