Jamie Dumayne is a PhD student, Associate Lecturer at the Department of Physics in Lancaster University .When he was a child in in mid-Wales he always wished there would be local science events, and now that he's a PhD student he had the opportunity to make this kind of thing real (and 100% free).
The Newtown Science Festival took place at Newtown High School, Powys, Wales, on Saturday September 17.
It was being supported by Lancaster Physics which also sent the department’s own mobile planetarium, LUniverse, accompanied by Dr Julie Wardlow.
Jamie, who attended a nearby school in Wales, said he wanted to encourage children from rural backgrounds into science.
“There was always the sense that you have to move to a big city which may put off people from rural areas from pursing science as a career.
“I had a teacher who started teaching an astronomy GCSE in his own time and I was part of a group that got to try it. But he taught in a way that showed it was possible to do astronomy in rural Wales without having to be in the big city and without fancy equipment.
“That’s why I’m bringing together a diverse group of exhibitors, to show children from rural backgrounds that it is possible for them to pursue careers in science. I’ve also tried to make as many of the activities as possible available in Welsh.”
The festival included an exhibition room, with activities including an exhibit from Lancaster Physics using a cloud chamber to teach about background cosmic radiation.
Children had the opportunity to build a keyboard using an Arduino electronics platform plus a demonstration of cameras to be used by ExoMars, the next European Space Agency rover to go to Mars.
Dr Wardlow said: “It’s a privilege to support Jamie’s dream of bringing the excitement of cutting-edge science to the people of Newton in a fun and accessible way. The whole LUniverse team is looking forward to showcasing the wonders of the night sky at the event, and to exploring the other activities and exhibits that Jamie has planned for the science festival.”
Therewas also support from other universities including Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Chester, Wrexham Glyndwr and Swansea plus sponsorship from local businesses.
The event was funded by the Royal Astronomical Society and Lancaster Physics department.
STEM Ambassador Jenny Haigh will present an introduction to free workshops supporting Areas of Learning in the new curriculum for Wales.
