STEM charity TechFest is launching a new programme aimed at
helping Scottish secondary school pupils in Aberdeen to discover their
innovative side.
In June 2023 the Scottish Government published
its national innovation strategy for the next 10 years, setting out its vision
is for Scotland to be one of the most innovative small nations in the world.
The new initiative, STEM into Innovation:
Pioneers of Progress, has been developed in response to this ambitious target
and schools across Scotland are being encouraged to sign up.
STEM into Innovation: Pioneers of Progress will
run for the first time in February 2024 and will give secondary school pupils a
chance to learn the history, skills and process behind designing a new product.
“Achieving the Scottish Government’s goal of
making Scotland one of the most innovative small nations in the world has to
include creating a culture of innovation in our schools,” said Sarah Chew,
managing director of TechFest.
“Innovation is key to the future. It holds the
answers to current and future problems. To make Scotland more innovative we
need to develop the problem solvers of the future, the people who will come up
with alternative solutions.
“There is no doubt that the science,
technology, engineering and maths will play a key role in transforming
Scotland’s innovation landscape. It is vital that we engage young minds in
these subjects and foster a passion for innovation.
“In a constantly changing world innovation is
essential, our latest initiative will help young people to gain an
understanding and appreciation of the design and manufacturing process
necessary to achieve innovation.”
STEM into Innovation: Pioneers of Progress is
being run as a virtual programme to ensure it is available to schools
throughout Scotland.
Sarah said: “It was Steve Jobs who said, ‘the
people who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do’. Through
STEM into Innovation, we want to give young people the knowledge and skills
they need to be the inventors of the future. We hope they will be inspired to
believe they can make a difference.”
Jenny Brown, former lead history curator at
Aberdeen City Council, Sabaht Bashir and Blair Wilson, both industry and school
engagement leaders for the National Robotarium and Edward Pollock, TechX
acceleration manager at the Net Zero Centre, are all involved with the new
initiative. They have each filmed content for the programme.
Sarah added: “Content for STEM into Innovation:
Pioneers of Progress has been captured at NESCOL filming studios. We’re
grateful to NESCOL for their support as we seek to engage tomorrow’s pioneers
with STEM.”
“The pupils will be set a series
of tasks and exercises to complete once they have seen the videos. This will
help them to take the information the experts have given them and put it into
action,” added Sarah. “This approach will really help them to build their
knowledge.”
Yvonne Whitker, NCR foundation director said:
“NCR Foundation is proud to partner with TechFest to promote STEM activities to
young people in Scotland. Research shows increased participation in STEM
activities improves reading ability, writing fluency and problem solving
skills. We hope participation in these types of programs will ignite young
peoples’ interest in pursuing technology career paths in future.”
STEM into Innovation will grow with the young
people as they progress through secondary school. It will be delivered through
tutorials, masterclasses, networking and taster sessions. Initially it will
introduce the concepts of design from past, present and future to the young
people. The aim is to then build on this knowledge and provide additional
skills and information necessary for design. Subsequent sessions will see the
pupils implement the skills and knowledge they have gained as they develop, design
and deliver a product.
“By the end of the programme the students will
have completed their own design projects using science, technology, engineering
and maths. We hope that this approach will help them to believe that they can
be the innovators of the future,” explained Sarah.
“Scotland has a long and proud history of
innovation. Penicillin, the fridge, the phone, MRI scanners and daily
disposable contact lenses are just a few examples of innovations that have
Scottish roots. We’re excited to play a part in developing the innovators of
the future. Who know what the next big innovation to come out of Scotland will
be!”
Schools interested in registering to
participate in STEM into Innovation should visit: https://techfest.org.uk/education/ages-over-11/stem-into-innovation
TechFest is an Aberdeen-based charity which
aims to engage young people in the four main STEM subjects (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and encourage them to go on to follow
a career which utilises these skills by demonstrating that they are both fun
and relevant in day-to-day life.
For more information on TechFest, visit www.techfest.org.uk