Science Oxford

What might get 15 STEM-enthusiastic teens up early (for holidays)?

During last week's Science Oxford's STEM Insight Days, 15 upcoming Year 10 and 11 students explored their futures and dug deeper into STEM careers.

With trips to iconic Oxfordshire-based STEM facilities, like Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and UK Atomic Energy Authority, students saw behind the scenes into incredible science, engineering and technology right on their doorstep.

"Seeing how massive ISIS [Neutron and Muon Source] is was really cool! I didn't think science equipment could fill a whole warehouse until I came here."

They also got first-hand insight into interesting and varied career journeys and roles across a wide range of industries through amazing networking opportunities with STEM professionals.

"At the STEM Careers Carousel, I found out valuable information on real-life organisations as well as advice on my present situation with a range of professionals."

Thanks to Lumai; DJS Antibodies; Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University; Lat51 Space Systems; Vorticity; Oxford Instruments; Taylor & Francis.

It’s always good to hear from parents too: "[My son] clearly had a wonderful two days at your Insight Days. He was full of details from the Rutherford and Culham visits, an opportunity he won't forget quickly. He was very enthusiastic about it all, so thank you for the time and effort you put into organising the event."

🚀 When is our next one? STEM Insight Days will take place over October half-term from Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th October.

Do you know any teens who would be interested to find out how STEM careers are helping to solve global challenges around Global Health, Digital, Climate and Engineering? Encourage them to apply. Applications close on 4th October (link in comments).

If this week's partial solar eclipse has your young adventurers curious about space and the planets, why not keep their curiosity going this summer?

Science Oxford's Summer of Space Holiday Club is packed with hands-on space-themed projects, from rockets to planetariums to space rap! Plus lots of outdoor exploration from pond dipping to woodland walks for children aged 7 – 11 🚀 Book now!

Hundreds of families gathered for a solar eclipse of the heart with Science Oxford. In a special evening to remember, people of all ages came together on Wednesday to enjoy the experience of one of the most significant solar eclipses visible from the UK in nearly three decades. "There is real excitement. It’s delightful!"

The Science Oxford team was on hand at our 'Eclipse in the Park' free community celebration at Margaret Road Recreation Ground, Headington, sharing 400 pairs of eclipse glasses alongside activities and demonstrations, from pin-hole cameras to colanders, to help families enjoy the spectacle and discover the science behind it. "It looks kinda cool!" commented one young astronomer.

Quarry and Risinghurst Councillor and Lord Mayor of Oxford, Chewe Munkonge joined in the fun and said, “It was fantastic to join our communities to experience this once or twice in a lifetime opportunity, and see families and children so excited. And, along with Science Oxford’s expert help, curious to learn more about science and space in the future.”

Find out what happened and read the full story here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xDdVR0

Experience the solar eclipse! This evening the whole country can experience a rare chance to see the Moon pass in front of the Sun for a particularly large eclipse at 90%, making this as close to a total eclipse as we've seen in almost 27 years from the UK!

Our Eclipse in the Park event this evening is fully booked, and we only have enough eclipse glasses for ticket holders. If you don't have a ticket and you haven't been able to get your hands on eclipse glasses, here's how you could join in at home without them and create your own pinhole projector!

Remember not to look directly at the Sun. A kitchen colander makes a very handy eclipse viewer. Hold the colander above the ground, pointed towards the Sun, so all the holes act like pinhole projectors. The sunlight passes through, becoming diffracted, and when it is focused enough, we see lots of mini eclipses on the ground! To help to see these clearly, place a white sheet onto the ground or a piece of white paper. Then lift the colander up until you can see lots of mini eclipses.

You can also get this effect by:
- crisscrossing your fingers to make small holes
- using a pizza oven tray (don't forget to enjoy the pizza!)
- Or make your own pinhole camera using a piece of card with a pinhole in the middle.

Find out more at https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xBKV70

We had a wonderfully wild time with wild printing this summer! We'll be pond dipping and exploring the woodland and wildlife at our weekday Holiday Clubs in August (Tuesday - Thursday 18-20 or 25-27 Aug). Nature Club is back in September with a seasonal session on seeds!

Book ahead: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xtHRt0

Go wild this summer! Our Science Oxford Holiday Clubs for curious kids age 7-11 run over 3 days Tuesday-Thursday with a huge rage of activities from pond dipping to a planetarium show, rocket design and launching and stop-press animation creation, robot rovers to space rap battles and wildlife trails in 15 acres of our wild space! Unaccompanied with earlier drop off / wrap around care available too. Book now!