Mentoring Schemes, Work Experience and visits to Babraham
Throughout the year we run several events for local schools, such as Schools’ Science Day (during National Science Week). We also run general science talks and invite schools or local community groups to attend these events.
The number of Institute scientists and PhD students working with teachers to develop projects, give talks and seminars, demonstrate laboratory techniques and host pupil visits to their laboratories is growing year on year.
We also occasionally host pupils on work experience placements, not just in laboratories, but in other divisions that support the work of the scientific community for example our photography and graphic design unit, the bioinformatics group, the nursery and engineering services.
Each year the Institute hosts a small number of 6th formers holding summer bursaries form the Nuffield Foundation, either within Institute research labs or companies residing on the Babraham Research Campus. If you are interested in this scheme, please contact SETPOINT Cambridgeshire for further details.
Based on our Schools' Science Day event, a similar programme of activity for exceptionally gifted pupils was organised in 2005, in conjunction with the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY).
In February 2006 the Institute ran a 6th Form Symposium for 20 students, which provided a half-day lab project, science lectures, a careers workshops and an ethical discussion on the use of animals in research.
In July 2005 we hosted 'Enterprise Day' for 50 pupils from Manor Community College, a school with a high percentage of under-achieving pupils. The aim was to provide an aspirational vision of employment alternatives and the value of education, as well as an opportunity to take part in a practical science class to extract their own DNA. This event is part of a pilot scheme for a new part of the National Curriculum which will be introduced nationwide in September 2005. It is our intention to seek ways of providing new mentoring links to school pupils, thereby informing them about the diversity of careers open to those with scientific training and helping them to make more informed choices about careers.
