An exciting summer school schedule at Forth Valley College kicked off this week with a STEM School for children between 11-14 years of age.
The first of our STEM Summer School activities was delivered in partnership with INEOS, which included a fantastic mix of hands-on practical workshops and project-work. These were led by a combination of lecturing staff, alumni and INEOS employee mentors. There was also a ten hour written project to allow entry to the Bronze Crest Award.
The photos show the group of eight youngsters who took part throughout the week and Ian Little INEOS Site Business development Manager leading the budding scientists through a smashing impact resilience workshop.
Zoe Johnston (11), who is just about to start Larbert high School, said: “On a scale from one to ten, I would give this summer school a ten! The best bit for me was learning about microbiology and it gives you great opportunities. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.”
Steven Rabet (12), who is also just about to start Larbert High School, said: “It’s five stars out of five for me on the STEM Summer School. My favourite part was learning how much caffeine and iron are in Iron Bru. I would definitely recommend it as I gets you involved in a lot of activities that get you thinking about what to do in the future.”
Fiona Jackson, Curriculum Manager in FVC’s Department of Applied Science, Maths and Mechanical Engineering, said: “What a great way to start off the summer school schedule here at Forth Valley College. The young people who attended were all really keen and seemed to enjoy themselves and learn at the same time. We can’t thank everyone enough, who has helped out throughout the week to make it such a success. The youngsters thoroughly deserve their certificates presented at the end of the week.”
Throughout the summer there are loads more for adults, school pupils and parents and young children hoping to find a fun and inspiring way to spend part of their holidays or improve their career prospects.
Some of the courses are aimed at pupils in the Forth Valley area, soon to start high school or just about to leave. The summer schools will open up a whole new world to young people who want to reinforce the path they want to take when they leave school, and also to those who are looking to turn that spark of interest in a subject into a full blown career.
Schools on offer include:
Art for Families - Creating Together (Summer School) - A fun and interactive course for any family combination, exploring creativity, technique and materials, with the emphasis on quality time together. The first block of this course will run for three consecutive Saturdays from 14 July and the second block will run for three consecutive Saturdays from 4 August. Raploch Campus 10am-12noon. Cost £30.
Budding Bakers (Summer School) - A great introduction for any young bakers out there aged 10-14. Stirling Campus23-27 July and 6-10 August. 1-4pm. Cost £85.
Introduction to Drama and Performance (Summer School) - This course is designed to give participants the chance to develop essential acting and performance skills including voice and movement techniques, how to use a script and characterisation. Participants will learn these skills through a series of participatory workshops building towards a short performance either to camera or their peers at the end of the course. Stirling Campus 30July – 3 August. 9.30am-4.30pm. Cost £100.
Junior Chef (Summer School) - An introduction to the world of cooking for 10-14 year olds. Stirling Campus 23-27 July and 6-10 August. 9am-12noon. Cost £85.
Sound Design for Film (Summer School) - This course is for those interested in producing sound for film and television. The course is highly practical and is delivered in our state of the art studios at our Stirling Campus. 23- 27 July. 9am-4pm. Cost £100
STEM - supported by SP Energy Network (Summer School) - The week will include a fantastic mix of hands-on practical workshops and project -work, led by a combination of lecturing staff, alumni and industry experts. There is a ten hour written project to allow entry to the Bronze Crest Award. For children between 11-14 years of age. Stirling Campus 6-10 August. 9.30am- 3.30pm.
Traditional Building Skills (Summer School) - The course will include a wide range of practical hands on skills and visits to buildings/projects of educational relevance and importance. Each topic and skill will be delivered by practitioners who bring a rich blend of knowledge and experience to the course. Industry partners will also contribute to the delivery of the course by delivering short lectures and provide valuable information on career development opportunities. Stirling Campus 9-13 July. 9am-4pm
Many of these courses are full this year, but anyone looking to find out more should visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/ways-to-study/summer-schools/ or call 01324 403000.
