Chemistry Students in their Element at New College

On Friday 18th October, STEMWiltsDorset; the Swindon, Wilts and Dorset STEMNET Contract Holders, collaborated with New College Swindon to deliver a Chemistry at Work event funded by the Wolfson Foundation.

The day offered local Year 8 students from Churchfields Academy, Isambard Community School and The Ridgeway School the opportunity to experience chemistry in everyday life within the world of work.  A range of workshops were delivered throughout the day to excite, interest and enthuse students about careers in Chemistry.

Proceedings started with a ‘whizz bang’ assembly ‘A Pollutant’s Tale’ presented by Sophie Franklin from Bristol University, ChemLabS. 

The students then divided into smaller groups for the workshops provided by: Dr Ben Littlefield from the University of Reading, making ‘silly putty’ and bouncing balls in his polymers workshop; Materials Live, the science and engineering of materials by Dr Ian Mabbett from Swansea University; the properties of metals in the RWE npower workshop delivered by Alison Clark and Bo Zohm; liver disease and diagnosis with Kat Murphy from the Pathology Department, Great Western Hospital; mechanical and material properties of polymers in the TE Connectivity workshop delivered by Rob Proctor and an explosive ‘Bang Box’ demonstration from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, explaining the chemistry behind combustion and the risks associated with fire fighting.

The New College event was the finale in a series of three workshops organised this autumn by the STEMWiltsDorset team.  It’s been great to see the students thoroughly engaged by the presenters and workshops provided by the volunteers from universities and local companies throughout the events.

For more details on courses and events at New College visit www.newcollege.ac.uk