On Thursday 31 March 2022, CSES, The STEM Hub and ARU held a fun and successful networking session for STEM Ambassadors, teachers and school students.
Attendees were treated to entertaining tours of ARU's cutting-edge facilities – including the SuperLab, engineering workshops and clinical simulation suites – and a presentation by the Passmores Academy team on their Fresh Air, Fresh Thinking project work. There were careers sessions for the secondary students, hands-on activities for the primary students and a workshop on communicating STEM for the Ambassadors. A networking reception for all participants was well-received after two years of lockdowns and isolation!
STEM networking events are typically held once or twice a year; this was the first one post-Covid and the first of similar events that CSES intends to run, with its partners, in the future.
Our thanks to Peter Sutton (The STEM Hub); Fatima Bibi, Binh Le, Dr Maryam Imani and Prof Laurie Butler (ARU); and Jainna Bhalla and Lily Caskey (Leonardo) for their support and contributions to the event.
Thursday 21 April, Passmores Academy, Harlow
Book for FREE now via Eventbrite
TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Yubo, are words that parents may or may not have heard of. As adults when we think about the internet we may think of funny cat videos, shopping online or sharing photos of our dinner on Facebook, but the digital world that our children are left to wander through alone every day can be very different indeed. Recent studies by OFSTED have shown that our young people can be exposed to shocking material online. Students in both primary and secondary schools said that they or someone they know had experienced online sexual abuse or harassment, with nearly 90% of female students saying that they had received unsolicited 'nudes'.
Do you really know what is going on in your child’s smartphone?
For all the parents and carers of young people in Harlow, have no fear: CSES, Passmores Academy and ECC are on the case and are here to help you get up to speed with how to protect your young person and help keep them safe in the digital world. We want to work together with you to help every young person in Harlow to navigate the internet safely by equipping parents and carers with the right knowledge and skills. We also want to showcase the amazing work of Essex-based companies in this area and reveal the breadth of career opportunities available to anyone who wants to build a better internet-enabled future.
Read more: My Smarter Essex: The Internet – What's really going on?
11–20 March 2022
One of the major aims of our society is to raise awareness about both the achievements and challenges of science, engineering, and all things technological. As we continue to develop our educational activities, we are working to align what we do with both focal points in the local calendar and the national and global picture.
There are many national and international celebrations, some of which are dedicated to areas of science and engineering; these are occasions designed to educate the public on issues of concern, and to help mobilise political will and resources to address national and global problems.
We are co-ordinating some of our activities around selected STEM celebrations, either by simply providing information or by organising specific activities to use these as a springboard for raising awareness.
Please think about volunteering to help CSES contribute to or organise an event next year to celebrate:
British Science Week, 11–20 March
Please contact us if you're interested.
Career development and volunteering with CSES and STEM Ambassadors
Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your career beyond the immediate day job? Perhaps you have some time to spare and would like to spend it supporting a local charity? Or do you enjoy volunteering for STEM outreach?
We have some very exciting projects in the works for 2022 (and beyond), and are seeking volunteers to help us with these.
Remember: any time spent volunteering for CSES counts as Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
- STEM Networking: Science and Technology for All (Thu 31 March)
- My Smarter Essex (Thu 21 April)
- Crompton and Chelmsford Pioneers project with the Ideas Hub (ongoing)
- Judges for TEXPO 2022 (Fri 17 June) and national Big Bang
- Chelmsford Innovation: Marconi and Beyond (22 June – 15 July)
- Chelmsford Festival Do and Discover weekend (25/26 June)
- Heath Robinson competition
- Mobile lab for primary schools
- Moulsham High School maths support
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2023
- British Science Week 2023
There are further projects still in development: look out for announcements on these in the coming weeks and months.
Annual Schools' TEXPO: Fri 17 June 2022, Anglia Ruskin University
CSES welcomes entries to the 2022 TEXPO: Schools’ Technology Exhibition.
Open to Y5-13 | All STE(A)M projects welcome | Show your work to scientists and engineers | Cash prizes to be won
Are you in a STEM club at primary or secondary school? Have you made something fantastic in technology or science lessons or for your coursework? Have you created some great software? Have you been doing interesting technical projects at home?
Are you a teacher with pupils or students who have high-quality engineering projects to offer, or a STEM initiative/club that you'd like to showcase? Or are you a parent, guardian or tutor whose child has been working on an exciting project?
If your answer to any of these questions is YES, then exhibit at the annual CSES TEXPO. There is prize money to be won!
Please click here for full details.
The deadline for entries will be Friday 10 June 2022, although please don't wait for your project to be finished before entering. Spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please click here to enter your project(s).
If you have any questions, please contact us. We are happy to come into school and discuss or present if this would help.
We would also strongly encourage you to enter the national Big Bang Competition, which is virtual this year. Entries for the Big Bang are open until 20 March – read on for further details.
We look forward to seeing you in June.
Friday 11 February 2022
One of the major aims of our society is to raise awareness about both the achievements and challenges of science, engineering, and all things technological. As we continue to develop our educational activities, we would we like to ensure that – as far as possible – we link what we do into both the national and global picture.
There are many national and international celebrations, some of which are dedicated to areas of science and engineering; these are occasions designed to educate the public on issues of concern, and to help mobilise political will and resources to address national and global problems.
As we continue to develop our activities, we will try to co-ordinate some of our activities around selected STEM celebrations, either by simply providing information or by organising specific activities to use these as a springboard for raising awareness.
Please think about volunteering to help CSES contribute to or organise an event next year to celebrate:
International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 11 February
Please contact us if you're interested.
Read more: International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022
Free STEM Ambassador Networking Event for Primary and Secondary Schools: Thu 31 March 2022
Come along to a FREE visit to Anglia Ruskin University on Thursday 31 March 2022 for an afternoon of STEM and Environment activities for primary and secondary students. The afternoon will include a tour of the University's cutting-edge Medical School lab facilities, STEM activities, refreshments, and a chance to hear from schools participating in CSES' Fresh Air Fresh Thinking project.
Fresh Air Fresh Thinking is a major new science, technology and computing project for primary and secondary schools. Using a Raspberry Pi, air quality sensors and meteorological equipment, participating students are conducting investigations into air quality and climate across Essex. This is a great opportunity to find out more, potentially get involved yourself next year, and to discuss the climate crisis more widely as a key driver for bringing science and technology to all.
If you are already involved, this will give you an opportunity to see the activities that others have carried out, discuss any new ideas and also present your students' work to an audience.
Free parking is available on campus.
To book your FREE place, please visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stem-networking-science-and-technology-for-all-tickets-266967706597
Schools' TEXPO: Fri 17 June 2022, Anglia Ruskin University
We are pleased to announce the return of our refreshed annual schools' competition: the CSES Schools' Technology Exhibition (TEXPO).
The dates will be as follows:
- The TEXPO will take place on Friday 17 June 2022
- The awards evening will take place on an evening of 5-7 July (TBC).
Find out more about the competition, and how to enter, here.
We will announce when the TEXPO is open for entries in the coming weeks, and look forward to seeing you in June!
Our second annual photographic competition in 2021 received a wealth of entries, with a wide range of interpretations of around the theme of Fresh Air Fresh Thinking, and we were particularly impressed with the large number submitted by primary school students.
We are pleased to again invite entries for 2022. Exploring the key link between the creative arts and STEM, the competition is, as usual, to encourage primary and secondary school students to use their imagination and creative skills. On this basis, it is open to anyone in full time or part time education in Essex. However, this year we will also have an adult category open to any Essex resident or worker.
Climate change and global warming should be on everybody's agenda. From simple things like walking to school/work and planting trees to technological solutions like green power and carbon capture, we can begin to reduce greenhouse gases and our carbon footprint. Changes in lifestyles, technology, food, farming etc all provide a wealth of inspiration as to how we can help ensure a better world for future generations, so continuing last year’s environmental theme, this year's competition is:
Controlling the Climate Crisis
We want you to take photographs that express what you think are the ways in which we are starting to mitigate the climate crisis. Each photograph should be accompanied with a short explanation (not more than 50 words) of the story or thoughts behind it.
Read more: Centenary Photographic Competition 2022: Controlling the Climate Crisis
Images on the theme of Fresh Air, Fresh Thinking
We were absolutely delighted to receive such incredibly high-quality – and clever! – entries to our second Photographic Competition, this year on the theme of Fresh Air, Fresh Thinking to accompany our Affiliate Schools Project. As you will see below, these convey some very powerful messages, and should give us all pause for thought.
You can see all of the photographs at our web gallery here.
Congratulations to our winners, whose entries are shown below. They have received Amazon vouchers to the value of £60 (first prize), £30 (second prize) and £20 (third prize). We look forward to running another competition this year.
- CSES competition winner speaks with PM
- Inclusivity: Closing The Gap
- Solomon's Story: Nuffield Placement
- Programme launch 2021-2022
- Photographic Competition 2021 Deadline Extended
- CSES on show at British Science Festival
- Cell and Gene Therapy Apprenticeships in Braintree
- British Science Festival: 7-11 September
- British Science Festival Programme Launched
- Fresh Air – Fresh Thinking: Volunteers Needed