Happy New Year and welcome to the latest STEM newsletter for Secondary Schools and FE Colleges from your local STEM Ambassador Hub. Thanks you for all your support in 2023 - there are still places available to compete in the First Lego League Challenge in March - see more information below.

There are also several new STEM engagement opportunities available for the forthcoming half term. STEM Ambassadors are still keen to offer as many enrichment opportunities as possible to learners and we welcome requests for STEM Ambassadors to help with any enrichment opportunity - please contact us directly to discuss your individual need.

STEM Ambassadors are keen to offer as many enrichment opportunities as possible to learners. Please encourage new colleagues to register with STEM Learning in order to receive the See Science newsletter in the future using the link: www.stem.org.uk/user/register and then opt to receive newsletters.

See Science have a facebook page where we will also be sharing lots of new ideas regularly - please like or follow the page.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can support the teaching of STEM subjects 

With best wishes 
The See Science Team


Best wishes
The STEM Ambassador Partner Wales
@See Science 

News from your STEM Ambassador Partner in Wales

Congratulations to the WJEC Innovation Awards Winners!


Wales' most promising young inventors have received accolades for their innovative ideas at the WJEC's 23rd annual Innovation Awards. Held in the heart of Cardiff Bay on December 14th at The Senedd, the ceremony celebrated the achievements of budding inventors.
This year saw the introduction of a Science Prize, judged by Cerian and Llinos of See Science.
It was a pleasure to meet the Award winners and we wish them all the best in their ongoing studies.
Follow the link below for more information on the Innovation Awards winners.

All GCSE and A Level D&T projects can be submitted for CREST Awards - get in touch with llinos.misra@see-science.co.uk if you would like more details.
 

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IET Faraday Days

Last term See Science were excited to deliver 8 IET Faraday Challenge Days to schools across Wales. The days give 6 teams of 6 year 8 pupils the opportunity to think and work as Engineers for the day while taking part in a prestigious national competition.
We have some spaces for schools to book their own Faraday Challenge Day between March and June.
The days can be run in schools or other organisations, such as Universities, and with all pupils coming from one school or from multiple schools.
Contact llinos.misra@see-science.co.uk for more information on booking your own day.
Click below for more information on the IET Faraday Challenge.

Events in Wales 

First Lego League - Wales 2024
There are still spaces at these events and grants available to help towards costs!

The 2023-24 FIRST LEGO League MASTERPIECE season has officially begun! This season is all about putting the Art in to ‘STEAM’, with teams imagining and innovating new ways to create and communicate art across the globe. We are really excited to see all of the amazing and creative ideas that we know will be produced this season.
FIRST® LEGO® League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to children ages 4-16* through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem solving experience through a guided, global robotics program, helping today's students and teachers build a better future together.

We will be holding  4 regional events across Wales -
 

  • Pembrokeshire 16 March 2024
  • Merthyr Tudful - 13 March 2024
  • Ebbw Vale - 18 March 2024
  • Cardiff/hybrid (Welsh Medium) - 20 March 2024


For more information, contact cerian.angharad@see-science.co.uk.
To find out more about First Lego League go to 
https://education.theiet.org/first-lego-league-programmes

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CREST in Wales online workshop -Wednesday 24th January 4-5pm

During this free online event, run by See Science in partnership with the British Science Association, we aim to help you access your free CREST Awards by:

  • Explaining the different Award levels and how CREST is aligned to the four purposes of the curriculum.
  • Signposting free bilingual CREST resources and those with specific Welsh content.

  • Sharing best practice examples about using the Awards throughout the school year.
  • Demonstrating how using CREST can maximise British Science Week engagement, and profile your school.
  • Showcasing the CREST Award certificates and explaining how to order them using our online platform.

The webinar will be repeated in Welsh on Thursday January 25th. Details here.
 

Register here for the English session.

Regsiter here for the Welsh session.

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Free CPD from RAEng through the Welsh Valleys Engineering Project, which is open to all schools in Merthyr and Blaenau Gwent, for KS2 and KS3 teachers.

The theme is Entertainment, and the session will explore the essential role that engineers play in the entertainment industry.
Engineering is at the cutting edge: from machine learning, artificial intelligence and gaming to advanced sports equipment, CGI, designing hi-tech sets and materials and music production.
Each attendee will receive a resource box for a class set of 30 pupils.
The resources range from tracking sporting data, exploring the fourth dimension and creating light displays to investigating synthetic beats and producing a scene from a horror film.
The CPD is live, at Coleg Gwent (Ebbw Vale), and will run from 15.00 – 17.00 on two days: Wednesday 21 February and Thursday 22 February (note that both dates are the same, so you only need to attend once).  It is open to one teacher per school.
To book for Wednesday click here:
To book for Thursday click here:
 
 

National Events

British Science Week 2024

March 8th - 17th
The theme for 2024’s activity packs and poster competition is ‘Time’.

Free activity packs for #BSW24 are available to download now!

The packs provide fun and engaging ways to introduce the theme to the children.

Each pack, created with the support of UK Research and Innovation and 3M, includes a wide range of fun, hands-on activities, and loads of useful information for planning your events for the Week.
 

There are separate packs for Early Years, Primary and Secondary. Find them here.
 

Organise your own event

Are you thinking about hosting an event at your school, community group or elsewhere? You can find tips on how to do this in our ‘How to’ guides and download British Science Week marketing materials to help promote it!
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National Apprenticeship Week

5th-11th February 2024

A week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Skills for Life - The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2024 is “Skills for Life”. We encourage everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills.

The National Apprenticeship Week website has more information and a toolkit to help you plan and promote your activities.

STEM Learning also have a range of resources for 11 to 18 year olds here.

 
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The Great Science Share
Tuesday June 11th 2024
The award-winning campaign continuing to inspire 5-14 year olds to take the lead in asking, investigating and sharing scientific questions they care about with new audiences. 
 

An inclusive, non-competitive and collaborative experience for all.
  • Use the Great Science Skills Starters to upskill teachers and pupils to ask-investigate and share scientific questions 
  • Be inspired by Great Science Ideas to inspire your pupils to start asking-investigating-sharing! 
  • Use science days or special weeks, e.g. British Science Week in March 2024 to involve pupils deciding what questions they want to ask-investigate-share. ​

Registration is open all year which gives access to a wide array of resources to inspire your pupils into science and engineering. 

Competitions

ESA Walk to the Moon Challenge

Inspire your class to get up, move their bodies, and train like astronauts with the ESA - European Space Agency's Mission X.

Join the 6 week Walk To The Moon Challenge, create your plan of action and encourage your team/students to learn the key elements to keeping fit and staying healthy in space and on Earth with in class and at home activities.

So what are you waiting for? Register today and take your first steps towards the moon!  Details here.

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RSB School Biology Teacher of the Year Award


Do you know an amazing school biology teacher who deserves an award? Students and students’ parents or guardians, and schools’ governors, science technicians, or members of their management team can now suggest a teacher for the Royal Society of Biology’s School Biology Teacher of the Year Award.
The School Biology Teacher of the Year Award seeks to identify the UK’s leading secondary education teachers, recognising the invaluable role they play in educating and inspiring the next generation of biologists.
The award is open to all teachers who are working with students aged 11-18 years old, teaching pre-university level biology programmes of study, and currently employed in a UK based school or college.
Closing date for nominations is January 24th.

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Schools Geology Challenge
The Schools Geology Challenge is a competition where students showcase their interest in geology, learn more about the way geoscience impacts our lives, and put their teamwork and presentation skills to the test!

First prize includes the coveted Schools Geology Challenge Trophy, £500 to use towards geoscience education at school, a year’s Student Membership with the Geological Society plus a certificate. 

The two runners-up will each receive £200 to use towards geoscience education at school and a certificate. 

Participants don’t have to study geology to enter – the competition is open to any interested students who are currently studying geology, geography or science A-levels (England/Wales/Northern Ireland), or Advanced Highers (Scotland). 

Closing date for entries is 2 February 2024.

Details here.

Grants

British Science Association Engage Grants for CREST

A new round of the BSA Engage Grants for CREST Awards, which supports schools to run CREST with children and young people from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM.

CREST Awards registration is FREE for all in Wales but Welsh schools could receive up to £300 to cover costs associated with running the activities, including supplying teacher cover and equipment. 

Applications close 6 February. Find out more here
 

Your local STEM Ambassadors Partner

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@SeeScience
ambassadors@see-science.co.uk
02920 344727