Children from across the North-east will take part in an exciting line-up of science, technology, engineering and mathematics workshops and shows thanks to TechFest.
The STEM charity is gearing up for its Early Years and Primary School Programme 2023 and Activity Weekend, both supported by joint principal sponsors Shell and bp.
The programme, which is aimed at children from nursery through to P7, will take place from May 29 to June 2 at Robert Gordon University, followed by the Activity Weekend over Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4.
The ‘TechFest Giant Maths’ session will tell the young learners the story of legendary Irish giant Finn McCool, who built the Giant’s Causeway to get across the Irish Sea and face his Scottish rival, Benandonner.
They will also be able to discover more about the mysterious world of sickness and disease as they find out more about ‘Glorious Germs’.
And who knows what conversations will be inspired after a session on ‘Gruesome Guts’ which follows the journey of food from your mouth to your stomach with the team at TechFest.
Jenny Taylor, Festival Manager at TechFest, said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the range and scope of sessions that will be delivered through the Early Years and Primary School Programme. There is a myriad of sessions on offer this year.
“The programme includes sessions specifically aimed at the early years age group as well as ones designed for children in primary one through to primary seven, all of which have been tailored to suit the target age group.
“This year’s programme has been created with the capacities, principles, experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence in mind. We have also added in greater provision in respect of mental health. Many of the workshops promote emotional intelligence and support our children’s positive mental health.”
Simon Roddy, senior vice-president upstream at Shell UK, said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of TechFest’s Activity Weekend and Schools Programme. We fully support encouraging and cultivating the ingenuity of young people from an early age. We hope that the variety of fun STEM activities on offer this year will encourage young people to engage with STEM and consider studying these important subjects.
“In years to come, these young people will become the scientists and engineers that we need to shape and develop our energy system.”
Doris Reiter, Senior Vice President, bp North Sea, said: “bp began investing in education more than 50 years ago to inspire young people. Since then, we have developed a programme that contributes to every stage of education - from early years through to higher and vocational education.
“By helping young people understand the importance of STEM subjects to our industry, we hope to equip future generations with the evolving skills, knowledge and confidence to become our engineers and scientists of the future. We are proud to continue our sponsorship of TechFest which stimulates interest in these vital subjects in a fun and engaging way.”
Demand for places at the Early Years and Primary School Programme is always extremely high. Jenny said: “The school and early years sessions are always very popular. This year’s sessions are now fully booked. We’re delighted that so many schools are coming to the event.”
The schools programme will be followed by TechFest's Activity Weekend, which will invite visitors to go ‘In for a Penny, in for a Pound’ with admission £1 for adults and just 1p for children. Only cash will be accepted at the door.
Taking place at Robert Gordon University on Saturday June 3 and Sunday June 4, families are invited to pop in throughout the weekend to enjoy workshops, shows and activities including Exploring the Rocky Shore with Macduff Marine Aquarium and the Secrets of Strawberry DNA with RGU School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.
Jenny added: “The Activity Weekend is one of the most popular events on our calendar. More than 20 hands-on workshops and demonstrations will be delivered over the course of the weekend. There’s no need to prebook, just come along and enjoy the fun.
“It’s going to be a fun filled two days, with exciting opportunities to discover more about the Wonderful Rainforest with The Critter Keeper and the ever-popular Teddy Bears Hospital with the University of Aberdeen’s Clinical Skills team. Even better, it’s in for a penny, in for a pound as adults pay £1 and children just 1p.
“We are very grateful to our joint principal sponsors Shell and bp for their valued, continued backing for our STEM programmes, as well as our other supporters and partners, without whose input it would not be possible to offer these sessions.”
A number of energy companies are also supporting the programme, including Apache, North Sea Transition Authority, TAQA, Subsea 7 and Equinor as well as Skills Development Scotland’s My World of Work team and other partners.
To find out more about the Activity Weekend, visit https://techfest.org.uk/festival/activity-weekend
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