On the 20th May, the Museum of Technology opened their doors to welcome 65 Year 6 students from Abbey Meadows Primary School, to learn more about how STEM is used to improve our everyday lives. By introducing students to the real-world application of topics they learn at school, Cambridge Launchpad aims to inspire, educate and enthuse young people to engage further with STEM subjects.
Over the course of the day, students worked with volunteers at the Museum to enjoy a carousel of different hands-on activities. Each workshop introduced the students to a range of people who each had a passion for STEM, who encouraged them to think about the future career possibilities that are available in the industry.
Dr Jinx St Léger, Education Officer & Technical Manager at Museum of Technology, said
“It was fantastic to see the students so engaged with the activities, working together, and enjoying solving problems. We hope they will be inspired to continuing exploring STEM both in and outside of school.”
Teams rotated around 4 stations to learn more about aerodynamics, water transportation, mechanical advantage and designing effective structures. The students enjoyed the chance to learn more about the history of the museum and were particularly excited to see the original machines and understand how far engineering has progressed.
A Year 6 student from Abbey Meadows Primary School, shared their experience:
“I really loved all of the activities that we did today. It’s good to be able to work with different people that we wouldn’t normally work with at school because it challenges you to listen to their ideas and work better as a team. My favourite part of the day was building the boat because it was really hard to begin with but then I started to understand more and changed my design which carried the tin across the water!”
The students that most impressed the volunteers with their curiosity, enthusiasm and problem solving, were invited to the annual Awards Picnic to celebrate their achievements along with other year 4, 5 and 6 students participating in this year’s Cambridge LaunchPad programme.
Molly Askham, STEM Outreach Co-ordinator from Cambridge LaunchPad, said
“It was great to see the students exploring such an inspirational site. All of them showed great enthusiasm for the activities and really got stuck in to the tasks at hand. Cambridge LaunchPad are always thrilled to have new partners join our exciting initiative and we have thoroughly enjoyed today with the Museum of Technology. ”
If you want to find out about how you can help inspire the next generation of STEM professionals, please contact us: cambridge-launchpad@formthefuture.org.uk
