Schoolchildren take part in Salters' Festival of Chemistry
Posted on 29 March 2006
Teams will take part in a competitive hands-on activity, 'The Mystery at Salty Towers' in which they will use their analytical chemistry skills. They will also compete in 'University Challenge', a practical activity in which pupils will be required to show their team-working and problem-solving skills. This will be followed by a spectacular demonstration lecture, 'A Periodic Odyssey', by Dr Jason Lynam of the University's Department of Chemistry exploring the elements in the Periodic Table and demonstrating some of their amazing properties.This is a wonderful opportunity for young people from across the region to enjoy chemistry
Dr Annie Hodgson
Dr Annie Hodgson of the Department of Chemistry said, "This is a wonderful opportunity for young people from across the region to enjoy chemistry. We hope it will give them a day to remember, and inspire them for the future."
The day will end with all participants being given individual fun prizes and participation certificates, with the winning teams awarded cash prizes for their schools.
Notes to editors:
- The Festivals are one-day events for schools held at Universities throughout the UK and Ireland. The first series of Festivals was held in 1991. Festivals were then held in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Since 2000 Festivals have been held every year. The aim of the Festivals is to make chemistry more exciting, more relevant and fun to students aged 11 to 13 years and to encourage schools to set up their own chemistry clubs.
- Competing schools are represented by a team of four students from years 7 or 8 (or equivalent in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). Cash prizes for the winning schools totalling £350 are awarded at each Festival and all participants receive fun prizes and certificates. During the last five years, over 12,500 students have experienced the fun of practical chemistry through the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry.
- Since 1991 sponsorship in support of the Festivals has been raised from over one hundred companies. Many of the Festivals are also sponsored by local companies.
- The Salters' Company is one of the Great Twelve City of London Livery Companies and was founded in 1394 for the mediaeval trade in salt. The Company's activities today are centred on charitable and educational giving. The Salters' Institute, established in 1918, and now the Flagship Charity of the Salters' activities, aims to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young and to encourage careers in the teaching of chemistry and in the UK chemical and allied industries.
- The Institute's three core activities are the Salters Chemistry Club and Salters' Festivals of Chemistry for 11 to 14 year olds; Salters' Chemistry Camps for those aged 15, in partnership with other scientific institutions, and Curriculum Development, undertaken at The University of York, including Salters GCSE Science and Twenty First Century Science and Salters Advanced Chemistry, Salters Horners Advanced Physics and Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology.
- For more information please contact: Miss Lesley Grout, Communications Manager, The Salters' Institute, Tel No: 020 7628 5962 ext 260, e-mail: publicity@salters.co.uk Website: www.festivalsofchemistry.co.uk
- The Department of Chemistry at the
University of York has an
excellent reputation for teaching and research. In the last Research
Assessment Exercise the department was awarded a 5 rating. It is led by
Royal Society of Chemistry prize-winners in all three branches of
physical, organic and inorganic chemistry. It has 46 members of
academic staff, more than 380 undergraduate students, 150 graduates and
90 research fellows.