Southampton Students Get Ahead with STEM with the Smallpeice Trust
Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, April 28, 2013 --(PR.com)-- From 20th to 22nd March, seventy students gathered at the University of Southampton, to attend a specially designed "Get Ahead with STEM" engineering experience residential course. In partnership with the University of Southampton, The Smallpeice Trust ran this free course to encourage 13 and 14 year old students from Southampton schools to consider engineering as a possible career in the future.
Over the three days, the pupils had the opportunity to learn about engineering through a series of presentations and practical exercises while developing life skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, time management, finance and presentation.
Working in teams, students also had to tackle a "Future Cities" project set by the University of Southampton, with support from engineers at Arup and Snug Projects in which they had to think of ways to protect and save Southampton from flooding. This entailed visits to various sites in Southampton and Portsmouth to assess the flood risks there. At the end of the course, students then presented their ideas to a panel of judges including individuals from the local council.
Steve Dorney, Public Engagement Tutor at the University of Southampton commented, “The Faculty of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton are very pleased to be working with The Smallpeice Trust on the new ‘Future Cities’ engineering education project. Students from Southampton secondary schools took part in engineering design workshops in January and those who performed best are now back on campus for 3 days to help us develop novel solutions for managing flood risk in the city. The students have been working extremely hard and have had an opportunity to really stretch their design and engineering skills and knowledge.”
Spokesperson for The Smallpeice Trust, Lucy Kelly commented, “Thanks to generous support from the University of Southampton, students on this course have been given an opportunity to not only experience university life while gaining an insight into the worthwhile careers available to them within the engineering sector. This particular course was aimed at encouraging students from all backgrounds to do great things using engineering skills and to help turn creative ideas into reality.”
Students also enjoyed a host of social activities including bowling, a film night, and a tour of Portsmouth Harbour.
This course was run by independent charity, The Smallpeice Trust, and is part of an on-going programme of residential courses to help young people aged 13 to 18 learn and develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing. Through running residential courses and STEM enrichment days and clubs, The Trust has reached out to 20,353 students across the UK in the past year.
The new course timetable for 2014 will be launched in the autumn school term. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. To find out more, visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk, or telephone The Smallpeice Trust on 01926 333200.
Notes to editors:
Word Count: 476
About The Smallpeice Trust:
The Smallpeice Trust is an independent charitable trust which promotes engineering as a career, primarily through the provision of residential courses for young people aged 12 to 18.
The Smallpeice Trust was founded in 1966 by Dr Cosby Smallpeice, a pioneering engineer and inventor of the Smallpeice Lathe. Following the stock market flotation of his company Martonair, Dr Smallpeice invested his energy and part of his personal fortune to set up the Trust to ensure that British industry could continuously benefit from his proven design and engineering philosophies: “Simplicity in design, economy in production.”
The Trust is now governed by an eminent board of non-executive trustees and members from a diverse range of engineering, industry, educational and professional bodies.
In the past academic year, The Smallpeice Trust has reached out to 20,353 young people through 33 different subsidised residential courses, 1-day in-school STEM Days and STEM-in-a-Box kits. The Smallpeice Trust has also trained 913 teachers to enhance their delivery of STEM in the classroom.
A strong interface is maintained with industry, education and professional bodies that help to support, promote and develop the courses. Through these relationships the Trust is also able to provide a number of tailored or specialised courses.
Over the three days, the pupils had the opportunity to learn about engineering through a series of presentations and practical exercises while developing life skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, time management, finance and presentation.
Working in teams, students also had to tackle a "Future Cities" project set by the University of Southampton, with support from engineers at Arup and Snug Projects in which they had to think of ways to protect and save Southampton from flooding. This entailed visits to various sites in Southampton and Portsmouth to assess the flood risks there. At the end of the course, students then presented their ideas to a panel of judges including individuals from the local council.
Steve Dorney, Public Engagement Tutor at the University of Southampton commented, “The Faculty of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton are very pleased to be working with The Smallpeice Trust on the new ‘Future Cities’ engineering education project. Students from Southampton secondary schools took part in engineering design workshops in January and those who performed best are now back on campus for 3 days to help us develop novel solutions for managing flood risk in the city. The students have been working extremely hard and have had an opportunity to really stretch their design and engineering skills and knowledge.”
Spokesperson for The Smallpeice Trust, Lucy Kelly commented, “Thanks to generous support from the University of Southampton, students on this course have been given an opportunity to not only experience university life while gaining an insight into the worthwhile careers available to them within the engineering sector. This particular course was aimed at encouraging students from all backgrounds to do great things using engineering skills and to help turn creative ideas into reality.”
Students also enjoyed a host of social activities including bowling, a film night, and a tour of Portsmouth Harbour.
This course was run by independent charity, The Smallpeice Trust, and is part of an on-going programme of residential courses to help young people aged 13 to 18 learn and develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing. Through running residential courses and STEM enrichment days and clubs, The Trust has reached out to 20,353 students across the UK in the past year.
The new course timetable for 2014 will be launched in the autumn school term. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. To find out more, visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk, or telephone The Smallpeice Trust on 01926 333200.
Notes to editors:
Word Count: 476
About The Smallpeice Trust:
The Smallpeice Trust is an independent charitable trust which promotes engineering as a career, primarily through the provision of residential courses for young people aged 12 to 18.
The Smallpeice Trust was founded in 1966 by Dr Cosby Smallpeice, a pioneering engineer and inventor of the Smallpeice Lathe. Following the stock market flotation of his company Martonair, Dr Smallpeice invested his energy and part of his personal fortune to set up the Trust to ensure that British industry could continuously benefit from his proven design and engineering philosophies: “Simplicity in design, economy in production.”
The Trust is now governed by an eminent board of non-executive trustees and members from a diverse range of engineering, industry, educational and professional bodies.
In the past academic year, The Smallpeice Trust has reached out to 20,353 young people through 33 different subsidised residential courses, 1-day in-school STEM Days and STEM-in-a-Box kits. The Smallpeice Trust has also trained 913 teachers to enhance their delivery of STEM in the classroom.
A strong interface is maintained with industry, education and professional bodies that help to support, promote and develop the courses. Through these relationships the Trust is also able to provide a number of tailored or specialised courses.
Contact
The Smallpeice Trust:
Gemma Murphy
+44(0)1926 333214
www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk
Gemma Murphy
+44(0)1926 333214
www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk
Contact
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