A summer of science at Imperial College London

Outreach Office welcomes 3,500 pupils for a taste of university life - News Release

Imperial College London News Release

For immediate use
Monday 13 August 2007

From robotics to biology and from chemistry to art, Imperial College London's Outreach Office is inspiring over 3,500 young people with a wide range of Summer Schools.

Over 70 different summer schools and science events are taking place this year aimed at raising aspirations amongst school pupils and igniting their interest in the world of science. They are attended by pupils from across the UK, aged between 11 and 16 who will benefit from a taste of university science. Activities include workshops on alternative energy, the science of crime scene investigations and the relationship between chemistry and art.

The largest and most complex event taking place this year is the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) summer school, a two week residential course, starting today.

The theme this year is Space Science and Astronomy, covering subjects including astrophysics, chemistry, robotics and the mathematics of space science and astronomy. Supported by academic mentors who are students of Imperial, the pupils will go into departments to explore subjects in an interactive and hands-on way. By the end of their time at Imperial they will have learnt how to conduct their own scientific investigations and will have designed, built and programmed a robot that will be able to explore the surface of a Martian landscape.

Melanie Thody, Head of Outreach at the College emphasises the importance of these activities: "Our summer schools programme here at Imperial is designed to give pupils a taste of life at university and provide them with the opportunity of working with academics and university students." She adds: "Student feedback is extremely positive and many of the pupils come back year after year."

One year 10 student who participated in the North East Summer School commented: "I think it was great and all the mentors and teachers were amazing! I really want to come back and I am considering applying to study here."

Imperial's summer schools are organised by its Outreach Office in partnership with Exscitec, a provider of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities for students of all ages. Exscitec aims to work with young people to raise aspirations, improve attainment in STEM subjects and increase participation in related careers. Imperial's Outreach Office also organises school visits, guest lectures, Open days, HE Fairs, and mentoring programmes. It works with a number of different organisations including the Royal Society of Chemistry, STEMNET, AimHigher, TDA, The Salters Institute, Chemistry the Next Generation, RCA, V&A, and UCL.

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For further information please contact:

Naomi Weston
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email: n.weston@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 594 6704
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

Programme of summer schools includes:

9-12 July - The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) exploration summer school, funded by the LDA and delivered by Exscitec, provides London students with practical investigations exploring physics based on light, electricity and electromagnetic radiation. In addition, students explore issues in chemistry, maths and robotics.

17 - 18 July - Art and Chemistry event provides 50 year nine students with the opportunity of exploring the disciplines of art and chemistry. Activities include looking at surface tension using soap bubbles, and building molecules from scratch.

23 - 27 July - Y11 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Summer school at Wye Campus gave workshops on alternative energy, smoke rings, CSI murder scene investigations and the science behind glow sticks.

13 - 24 August - NAGTY summer school.

21 September - Faculty of Engineering Centenary Schools Challenge invites Year 9 students from local schools to the South Kensington Campus to take part in a programme of engineering activities giving an opportunity for the future decision makers to look at the complex challenges that face energy engineers and scientists. The Challenge draws and expands on the knowledge required in key stage 3 and provides students with the chance to fully appreciate the immediate need for practical solutions in order to create an atmosphere which will allow our economy to grow without sacrificing the environment.

17 - 18 October - Creative Futures (Achieving Your Potential) is a two day event targeted at 11 to 15 year old students from underprivileged schools in and around London. The first day will comprise of engineering workshops and will cover the protection of chicks within egg structures to see how egg structure can be related to a dome structure like that of the Royal Albert Hall dome. The second day will cover Neuroscience and will involve a demonstration on how our chemical senses work and how taste and colour work together.

9 November - Creative Quarter is a day targeted at 14 - 19 year olds and will introduce students to the broad range of professions in the creative industries. They will meet professional artists, designers, scientists and post-graduate students to find out about different education and career pathways.

At the beginning of the summer period, the Outreach Office in collaboration with Exscitec and Villiers High School, Ealing, won a London Education Partnership Award for Imperial Outreach. The awards identify and reward London schools, colleges, universities, employers and voluntary organisations who are building dynamic, groundbreaking programmes. Undergraduates have continued to mentor at the school beyond this programme.

About Imperial College London:

Imperial College London - rated as the world's ninth best university in the 2006 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings - is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 11,500 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

With 66 Fellows of the Royal Society among our current academic staff and distinguished past members of the College including 14 Nobel Laureates and two Fields Medallists, Imperial's contribution to society has been immense. Inventions and innovations include the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of our research for the benefit of all continues today with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle climate change and mathematical modelling to predict and control the spread of infectious diseases.

The College's 100 years of living science will be celebrated throughout 2007 with a range of events to mark the Centenary of the signing of Imperial's founding charter on 8 July 1907.

Visit Imperial at www.imperial.ac.uk