Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
School pupils roll up to Leeds Beckett Science Circus
The Science Circus was set up on Wednesday 11 and Friday 13 March by students and staff across Leeds Beckett to represent the broad spectrum of scientific, technological and engineering-related degree courses available at the University, including creative technologies, sports science and biomedical sciences. Around 80 Leeds pupils from years six to eight attended over the two days.
The Circus was organised by Leeds Beckett's Access and Widening Participation team, and involved seven short activities taking place simultaneously at the University’s Headingley Campus, so that all pupils could experience each activity as a continuous carousel.
Activities included computer forensics, drone demonstration, thermal imaging, music technology and pain management.
Laura Brooks, a second year BSc (Hons) Music Technology student at Leeds Beckett, led a session with the pupils: “Many of the pupils didn’t know that music technology is in a fact a science,” she said: “They do physics and chemistry etc but we showed them that science is a broad area that can also be creative and mathematical. They really enjoyed our activity. We got them outside recording natural sound which is something we do in our work during the post-production process. The Science Circus is a great way for them to experience what a university environment is like.”
Yvonne Rayner, Widening Participation Project Co-Ordinator, added: "We have been running the Science Circus each year during National Science and Engineering Week since 2012 and it is has consistently proved very popular and opened minds to the possibility of further study. We aim to offer a flavour of the exciting content of some of our science-based courses through activities which are fun, interactive and informative, with lots of participant involvement."
National Science and Engineering Week runs from 13 - 22 March 2015 and is an annual event demonstrating how science, technology, engineering and maths relate to our every-day lives: it aims to inspire the next generation of scientists with fun and participative activities.