Joined by 18 East Midlands teachers, six creative practitioners and two American guests, the final STEM Fluency Lab has just taken place. Held at Barnsdale Hall Hotel, the Lab participants reignited their creativity, and investigated new ways to bring inspiration and enjoyment to their classrooms. From animation workshops, to nanotechnology, to Thai willow rafts, to silent snowball fights, the Lab was, yet again, a fantastic experience, filled with energy, excitement and creative thinking. Each Lab is as good as its participants, and we had a great group of people, offering their time, ideas, support and humour throughout the Lab. Check out the website for more on this year’s Lab. http://www.ignitefutures.org.uk/ignition/stem-fluency-labs/
To celebrate some really great collaborations, we held our second Sci Art Fusions premiere in October, at the Nottingham Broadway. We were joined by all three schools involved, and their film makers: Brookhill Leys Junior School and Trevor Woolery; Hope Valley College and Martin Blackham; and Holgate School with Michelle Walker. It was great to see the three films on the big screen, and celebrate the pupils’ efforts by giving their films the premiere they deserved! For more information on the premiere, please visit the Sci Art Fusions website: http://www.ignitefutures.org.uk/ignition/sci-art-fusions/
Workshops have begun for the upcoming Come Alive With Science (CAWS) week. Rick and Sarah have been whizzing around the region delivering workshops for 2011 CAWS, to both existing and new CAWS schools and practitioners. We have taken on an additional 14 secondary schools, which means the CAWS family has grown to 29 schools in total. Activities are being planned for National Science and Engineering Week, which takes place from 11th – 20th March, and follows the theme of ‘Communication’. Keep checking out our website for updates, and reports from CAWS 2011. http://www.ignitefutures.org.uk/ignition/come-alive-with-science/
As our Creative Sparks are all developing their great ideas, and in some cases gaining valuable experience along the way (Sophie Jones is spending time in Brazil at the moment, Jake Birch will be working at London Fashion Week backstage, and Hannah Johnston has returned from turtle conservation work in Cape Verde), we in the Ignition* office are beginning to plan the next Creative Sparks residential, set to take place in mid February. An opportunity for Sparks and their mentors to spend a weekend investigating ideas, developing their creativity, and exploring themes that ‘spark’ their imagination. More news on the residential soon!
Invent! winners, Ivanhoe College, spent their Grand Engineering Day Out at the Science Museum in London, exploring many of the brilliant exhibitions and hands on activities available. As well as listening to music through their teeth they made discoveries about light, air pressure and gravity. Following time in the LaunchPad area, and visiting the Materials Show, the group were given 45 minutes to explore the Museum, before heading back to Leicester, to take their inspirations from the Science Museum back into their science lessons.
From all of us here at Ignition*, we would like to wish all of our partners, schools and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope you all have a fantastic festive period, and we shall look forward to more creativity and STEM opportunities in 2011!
The Ignition* team
Contact ignition:
ignition@ignitefutures.org.uk
0844 879 2110
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