An appeal has gone out to Forth Valley College staff to induce a chain reaction to help raise awareness of the STEM loan box scheme in primary schools.
Loan Box info cards have been created to promote FVC’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Boxes, which can be loaned out to primary schools across the Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire council area.
And now staff are being encouraged to pick up a card and pass it on to the primary school nearest them through their own kids, or through nieces, nephews, grandkids or the children of people they know, to promote the innovative initiative.
With the help of funding from the Edina Trust the team at FVC have enhanced the range to eight STEM boxes, which are now available to be loaned out across the whole of the Forth Valley region. The boxes cover the subject areas of: Clean Water testing, Rocket launch, Microbit Coding, Warm Houses insulation game, Biological Systems like microscopy, Green Energy wind turbine, Forces and Design and Build, and can be used for up to two weeks for P5-7 classes.
Science Lecturer Kerstin Doig, said: “All members of staff at our three campuses will have access to our STEM loan box info cards at the main receptions, detailing the box contents and booking link. We would love if they could please grab a card and drop it off at their local primary school, so the youngsters and teachers there can all get booking to explore a class set worth of STEM materials.
“Alternatively staff can also forward the e-version of the info card – complete with QR code - to their primary school teacher of choice.
“Once the teachers book the STEM box for a period of two weeks, they can pick up the boxes at one of our three campuses. Online instructions and videos are available to guide them through the activities and experiments. So, what’s not to like? We hope our colleagues will get on board and start a chain reaction to raise awareness of this excellent resources to promote STEM activities and subjects for young children.”
Over the last three years, the Green Economy Fund has supported Forth Valley College to provide innovative STEM learning in schools across Forth Valley, Fife, West Lothian, and Edinburgh. The STEM sessions were moved online to ensure the innovative programme could continue despite the challenges of school closures during the pandemic.
The interactive sessions have included ‘STEM Pick N Mix’ (nursery to P7) and innovative ‘The Famous Four Save the Planet’ (P5 to P7), which tell the story of the ‘Famous Four’ characters who save the planet through STEM experiments and activities.
Each box contains materials to complete all activities with a class of 30 pupils and they come well equipped, though some everyday materials will be required from the school. To request a STEM box please email: stemboxes@forthvalley.ac.uk or book via the FVC landing page here.