Progress South Central Progress South Central: The Lifelong Learning Network for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey

TeenTech 2010 & 2011

LEAD ORGANISATION

Central Berkshire Education Business Partnership

ADDITIONAL ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED

TeenTech in 2010 and 2011 were organised by Central Berkshire EBP and a number of local organisations contributed funded including Progress South Central.

Each events were aimed at school students in Years 8 and 9 in order to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject choices, to highlight the rewards of a career in STEM and the diversity of careers in STEM.

The 2010 day included:

  • An opening address by Maggie Philbin, who sought the school students' ideas about scientists
  • A presentation from Liza Brookes of True Snowboards about life as a snowboard engineer
  • A team activity where each team was challenged to make a snowboard prototype and then pitch to Liza about why they should win
  • Two 30-minute activities related to STEM subjects with a 'hands on' element
  • Businesses showcasing their new technologies with practical examples
  • An Ideas Wall where students could post an innovative idea, with a prize of an iPod being awarded for the idea judged the best

In addition, teachers' resources were given out at the event and there was a Professional Development session for the teachers.

IMPACT

262 students attended on the day, from 22 secondary schools across Berkshire. Student feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive. Around three-quarters of students fed back that they had not done anything similar at school, and over 85% fed back that they were able to discuss careers with the employers present (up from 60% in Teentech 2009). Feedback from teachers was also positive, with the view that the event had been pitched at the correct level for the students.

TeenTech 2010 won the Best Engineering Event 2010 Award awarded by Engineering UK as part of the National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW) Event Awards. As of July 2010, the event had also been selected as South East Regional Winner for the 2010 Enterprising Britain Awards.

TeenTech 2011 followed a similar format and again was well attend and highly succesful. The success prompted Buckinghamshire EBP to pilot a similar STEM event, to which Progress South Central also supported with funding.

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