I have been visiting a local school as a STEM ambassador for the last 5 years. I work part time and spend my day off from my research and student supervision in SBS, teaching science and technology to 4-12 year olds which is extremely rewarding and a whole lot of fun.
When there is a need for some input to topic work, rainforests or polar regions for example, I provide a workshop for the kids but I also run a fortnightly STEM club and support a weekly coding club. The children love taking part.
I am fortunate to have lots of help from Liz Campbell at the Biodiversity Centre and be able to access the resources in the Central Library. I also have close links to get ideas and borrow materials from Aberdeen Science Centre. There is a wealth of resources available which allow me to provide hands-on and exciting activities for the kids.
Over the years the children have made marble mazes, bubbles, slime, volcanoes, leaf print creatures, bottle ecosystems, bird feeders, wormeries, lava lamps, lego robotics and obtained their Green Blue Peter badges. They have also had trips to the Zoology building to take part in workshops and explore the gardens. We are very fortunate to have such a fabulous facility on site.
Sadly all of these activities have had to stop due to Covid and I miss the weekly interactions but I am hopeful that they can begin again sometime soon.
Becoming a STEM ambassador is something I would recommend. Its fantastic to see the children engaging in science and technology and sparking an interest which will hopefully continue into their future education.
