An exciting STEM Summer School based at Forth Valley College’s Falkirk Campus once again proved to be a winner for school pupils during the holidays.
Running from Monday 7 to Friday 11 August, the Summer School included a fantastic mix of hands-on practical workshops and project-work, led by a combination of lecturing staff, alumni and industry experts.
With the generous support of INEOS, the young people taking part had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related workshops, whilst working towards achieving their Bronze Crest Award. These included: ‘Microbiology Project’… Are chemicals better than natural cleaners? And ‘Analytical Chemical Analysis’ - How much Iron is in Irn Bru?.
During the week-long course the youngsters also took in a site visit to INEOS in Grangemouth, giving them a valuable insight into high performance chemicals and materials production. As well as a tour of the facilities which included a behind the scenes look at the control room, there was also an opportunity to discuss different employment opportunities and routes into STEM careers.
Olivia Steele, Business Analyst at INEOS, said: “We were really pleased to have again sponsored the STEM Summer School last week. The students got to experience STEM beyond the classroom environment, which is so important. It has been brilliant to hear feedback from parents and pupils that the Summer School has sparked interest and encouraged further study in science subjects at school. Thank you to the INEOS and college staff who enthusiastically took part in the week.”
Fiona Jackson, Curriculum Manager in the Department of STEM and Construction, said: “Our STEM summer schools are always very exciting and thanks to INEOS this year was no exception. I know for a fact that all the pupils who took part got an awful lot out of the activities that were organised throughout the week.”
Pauline Jackson, FVC Development and Fundraising Manager, said: “Thanks to the amazing support from INEOS we were once again able to offer our amazing STEM Summer School. The young people taking part had access to a unique experience and insight into STEM careers which we hope will help inform their future choices.”
Summer Schools Success
Summer School courses for 2023 proved popular with pupils from across Forth Valley this year with both week long workshops ending up fully booked.
The Junior Bakery course which was held from Monday 3 to Friday 7 July and the STEM Summer School (sponsored by INEOS) from Monday 7 to Friday 11 August - for youngsters aged between 10-14 - both allowed students to learn new skills, make friends and have fun during the summer holidays.
These photos of the young people learning new skills in the kitchen certainly show they were having their cake and eating it too!
