New project inspiring young engineers in the Black Country
Black Country students are being inspired by a new after-school project which hopes to encourage young people to pursue science and engineering subjects.
The Cadent Foundation After-School Science and Engineering (CASE) clubs are being rolled out in 15 schools across the West Midlands and North London, with two currently in the Black Country.
Pupils from Brownhills Ormiston Academy and Ormiston Forge Academy in Cradley Heath are taking part in the after-school sessions which are designed to bring science, technology, engineering, and maths to life.
Ross Doodson, assistant principal at Brownhills Ormiston Academy said: “We are delighted that Cadent and City Year can deliver this after school club at Brownhills Ormiston Academy - after the restrictions of Covid-19 last academic year, it presents a wonderful opportunity to engage our students with practical activities that will hopefully spark an interest in Science and STEM."
The project is funded by a £100,000 grant from the Cadent Foundation and run by the education and youth charity, City Year UK.
Over the course of six weeks, students will engage in various hands-on activities such as building rockets and designing rollercoasters as a way of using problem-solving-based learning to explore key engineering themes.
The clubs also help children to develop essential life skills such as problem solving, self-confidence, positive decision-making, teamwork and communication.
The sessions are run by volunteer mentors aged 18-25 and employees from Cadent Gas will also support the mentors as STEM role models to help bring to life careers in engineering.
Each student who takes part in the project will receive a British Science Association CREST Award, a nationally recognised scheme for student-led projects in STEM subjects.
Kevin Munday, chief executive at City Year UK said: “We’re extremely grateful to the Cadent Foundation for this funding which is helping us to tackle educational inequality and engage more children in creative STEM learning activities.
"Around 30 per cent of children are growing up in poverty in the UK and too often, their prospects are linked to how much their family earns.
"By age 11, less than half of pupils entitled to free school meals reach the standards expected in reading, writing and maths.
"Children who participate in extracurricular activities perform better in school, build confidence and gain social skills, however children from deprived communities are three times less likely to participate in extracurricular activities compared to their wealthier peers.”
Julia Dwyer, director of the Cadent Foundation, explains why it is important to invest in STEM education: “We are delighted to be able to support City Year with this exciting new project. As technologies continue to develop and create innovative job opportunities, we need to prepare to meet those needs.
"By investing in STEM education and exposing students to hands-on STEM experiences we will ensure that they have the skill sets needed to build the strong and sustainable communities of the future.
“Through the CASE Clubs young people will have the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge, gain valuable insights into STEM careers and be better equipped to access opportunities to become the next generation of scientists, computer programmers, technicians and engineers.”
For more information about City Year UK, including how to can apply to become a volunteer mentor or to find out how a school can get involved, visit cityyear.org.uk
