Teachers and lecturers returning to primary and secondary schools and colleges across the UK this September will find new resources to help them inspire and develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.
Launched in Liverpool on Tuesday 9 September 2008 during the BA Festival of Science, the STEM Directories (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are one of the initiatives within the UK Government’s STEM Framework Programme currently underway, to respond to the shortage of young people taking up STEM-based qualifications and careers.
The arrival of the 2008/9 STEM Directories marks a major milestone for the STEM community. This is first time that the science, engineering and mathematics communities have come together to produce jointly a major source of STEM enhancement and enrichment schemes and activities for teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges across the UK.
The three STEM Directories – one each for Science, Mathematics and Engineering and Technology – have been created in direct response to teachers needs. They comprise a collection of over 200 schemes and activities provided by organisations from across the UK that aim to enhance and enrich the STEM curriculum. Each activity is linked to the curriculum so that the impact of the experiences and outcomes can be sustained.
“I’ve been working in the STEM arena for over 15 years, “says Kate Bellingham, TV presenter, qualified electronics engineer and mathematics teacher who compered the launch. “During that time, it’s fair to say that the STEM community has been somewhat fragmented. But I’m absolutely delighted to see how so many major STEM organisations have worked together to meet a common objective - to create and deliver the STEM Directories for the benefit of STEM teachers across the country. It’s a first for the STEM community!”
Ian Pearson, the Minister of State for Science and Innovation attended the launch. He said:
“Science, engineering and technology are integral to everyone’s daily lives and offer society tremendous opportunities for the future. The new STEM Directories will give our teachers and lecturers innovative resources to engage young people and excite them about the potential of science, technology, engineering and maths. In addition, this unique scheme will hopefully inspire young people to pursue science both in school and as a career – which in turn will result in a valuable, qualified scientific workforce for the UK.”
Schools Minister Jim Knight said:
“We need to build on recent success in increasing the numbers studying and doing well in A Level Maths. Encouraging more young people to study science and maths beyond GCSE is a top priority for government and a well taught, hands-on lesson can be really inspiring. These brilliant resources will help teachers bring science and maths to life.”
An example of one of over 200 schemes and activities listed in the STEM Directories is “Seconds From Catastrophe? Living with an active volcano”. Based on real events that took place in 1997 at the Soufrière Hills Volcano in Montserrat, this activity is led by science researchers who were actually onsite during the ongoing eruption. The students are required to role play scientists, government officials and members of the public and to discuss and make decisions about the disaster
“The activity sets scientific information in a real-world situation which, while factually accurate, is as dramatic as any disaster movie,” says Dr David Bailey, Head of Outreach at the British Geological Survey, who runs the scheme.
“It shows that scientists can have a direct and vital role in events that threaten lives and livelihoods. It tests students’ comprehension, teamwork and, ability to assess information and present it to others. Their thinking and communication skills are challenged and extended by tackling a serious problem which has no single right answer”.
“This project had a life-changing impact on some of the pupils,” says Clive Beckwith of Carlton-le-Willows School, Nottingham, a school that has experienced the activity. “The parents I spoke to talked about how their children now aspire to become involved in earth sciences. Some parents reported how their children had become avid watchers of news items about earthquake and volcano activity and some have even changed their GCSE options as a result!”
The STEM Directories are managed by a consortium of established leaders in STEM enrichment and enhancement activities – The Royal Institution of Great Britain, The British Association for the Advancement of Science and the University of the West of England, Bristol. They are strategically led by SCORE (Science Community Representing Education), ACME (the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education) and The Royal Academy of Engineering.
Juliet Upton, Project Manager, STEM Directories, t. +44 (0)7811 440918