The Sussex Network are fairly active in their support of STEM events. Over the past few years we've attended about a dozen events each year, consisting of either STEM fairs, often referred to as 'Big Bang' or 'STEMFest', or workshops in schools. The Big Bang events attract groups of students from a variety of schools, spread throughout the day and are either local events ('Big Ban @ Somewhere' and 'STEMFest Elsewhere') or Big Bang South East, run over two days and attracting over 10,000 students and teachers. At these events the Sussex Network has a stand and, as well as talking to students about engineering, we get them to build an LED torch using kits provided by IET Education. Without them knowing, they hopefully learn a little about the design process, about circuits and about LEDs. More to the point, it's fun and they can take the torch away with them.The workshops that we run are those where the development of the workshop was funded by the IET/IMechE Engineering Education Grant Scheme (EEGS). We supported the applications and then STEM Sussex developed the workshop. They could be delivered by anyone, but we tend to be asked first. Some, such as Control Technologies, need quite a lot of preparation if you've not run it before. Luckily we have some former control engineers amongst our volunteers.
Talking of volunteers, we have about eight active volunteers and at least four more who would like to be involved this year. Some are retired and some work for companies that recognise the benefits of their staff taking part in STEM events. We are lucky to have members who are prepared to give up their time to help spread a little knowledge about engineering to the County's youngsters and our thanks go out to them.
As an example of the range of STEM events that we attend, the following table list those for the last academic year. If you would like to become a STEM Ambassador and help us at these events then please contact me at david.james@ietvolunteer.org.
| Date |
|---|
| Event |
|---|
| Location |
|---|
| Tuesday 21st November 2017 |
| Scout Group |
| Crawley |
| Cubs. Beebots and torches |
| Tuesday 16th January, 3.30 to 5.30pm |
| Forest School, Horsham |
| Horsham |
| Careers event centring on the importance of languages to careers. So languages ajunct to engineering. |
| Thursday 8th March 2018 |
| Coastal STEMFest |
| Butlins, Bognor Regis |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Age range 7-9 (KS3-4). 750 young people. |
| Thursday 22nd March 2018 |
| little Big Bang |
| Ringmer College, Ringmer |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Age 10yrs. 50 young people. Four workshops across the day, 1hr each. |
| Tuesday 27th March 2018 |
| Big Bang @ Eastbourne |
| Eastbourne |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Age range 7-9 (KS3-4). 750 young people. |
| Saturday 28th April 2018 |
| Lewes STEMFest |
| Lewes |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Families |
| Saturday 12th May 2018 |
| STEM in the Park |
| Memorial Gardens, Crawley |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Family so all age ranges. 1,200 young people. |
| Saturday 9th June 2018 |
| Horsham STEMFest |
| Horsham |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Family so all age ranges. 600 young people. |
| Tuesday 12th June 2018 |
| Energy Watch workshop |
| Lancing Prep, Hove |
| Year 8 physics class. |
| Wed 27/Thursday 28 June 2018 |
| Big Bang South East |
| Ardingly |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. Age range 6-10 (KS4-5). 10,000 young people. |
| Wednesday 11th July 2018 |
| Big Bang @ Brighton |
| Brighton |
| Organised by STEM Sussex. 400 Key Stage 4 students |
| Saturday 21st July 2018 |
| Future Fest |
| University of Chichester |
| Free family and community event at the Bognor Regis campus |