Page 19 - PERIODIC Magazine Issue 7

S haring the joys

of chemistry

Our talented and dedicated outreach

team works with School students
from all backgrounds to promote
the study of chemistry and inspire
them to pursue scientific careers.
The new teaching labs, completed
in 2018, have made it possible to
welcome more school students to our
outstanding new facilities.

Key Stage 4 students in the new teaching labs

Younger students are catered for too, with primary
science days in the labs and visits to primary schools.
Outreach visits to both primary and secondary schools
also provide invaluable opportunities to our own
students, enabling them to share their enthusiasm for
chemistry and to develop their communication skills.

The Department participates in the RSC’s successful
‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’ initiative, in which student
volunteers take hands-on workshops out to schools. We
also host the Salters’ Institute’s Festival of Chemistry, in
which school students throughout the country are given
the opportunity to spend a day in a university department
and to take part in fun practical chemistry activities.
These events are very popular and well-attended,
Key Stage 4 students in the new teaching labs as are those for the University of Oxford’s summer
school, UNIQ. The UNIQ programme is designed to
give students from backgrounds underrepresented at
In Hilary Term alone, our outreach team saw over 1200 Oxford an immersive taste of the undergraduate student
school students, who were offered a range of exciting experience, and Chemistry’s outreach team has inspired
and inspiring activities. Some 600 students participated and encouraged a high proportion of participants to
in workshops in the labs, and in celebration of the make successful applications to the university.
International Year of the Periodic Table, students in Key
Stages 4 and 5 attended special events focussed on A student in Key Stage 5 commented on their recent visit
discovering more about this most significant achievement that “It engaged me and made me more confident that I
in science. For all areas of the science curriculum want to apply here and could do well here.” The broad
our Schools Liaison Officer works in partnership with aims of the outreach team remain the same for all the
teachers to offer opportunities tailored to the students’ young people they see: to inspire them to see themselves
needs. A teacher from a recent visit by Greenhead pursuing STEM careers and higher education in general,
School said: “It’s brilliant for the students to get the and to promote chemistry to students of all abilities.
opportunity to do some practical work in your fantastic
new laboratories. The ester synthesis offers plenty of
challenge and new techniques and I think the way you’ve Find out more at
designed the activity is great.” http://outreach.chem.ox.ac.uk/
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Periodic
The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry Periodic
The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry