Celebration of science for schoolchildren at the University of Leicester on Thursday 8 June

Fun lecture at the University of Leicester promises ‘bangs, flashes and colours’ on Thursday 8 June

PHOTO OPPS: On Thursday 8 June- please contact Dr Barbara Villa Marcos to arrange bvm4@leicester.ac.uk

LEICESTER, 07-Jun-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Leicester is staging a celebration of science for schoolchildren.

68 students from 17 schools in the local area will enjoy an exciting day of chemistry at the Salters’ Festival of Chemistry to be held at the University of Leicester in partnership with The Royal Society of Chemistry on Thursday 8 June.

During the morning the teams will take part in a competitive, hands-on, practical activity, “The Salters’ Challenge” – Who is the Prime Suspect? – in which they will use their analytical chemistry skills. In the afternoon, they will compete in the “University Challenge”, a practical activity chosen by the University, in which they will be required to identify different solutions. This will be followed by a fun lecture, by Dr Richard Blackburn involving many bangs, flashes and colours along the way.

The day will end with a prize-giving at which all participants will be given individual fun prizes and participation certificates and the winning teams will be awarded prizes for their schools.

Dr Barbara Villa Marcos, the organiser of the event, said: “This event highlights chemistry is fun and has many practical applications. It provides pupils a value opportunity to consider chemistry as a career.”

The Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry are an initiative of The Salters’ Institute, whose aim is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences amongst the young, and to encourage careers in the teaching of chemistry and in the UK chemical and allied industries.

The Festival at the University of Leicester is one of a series of 49 Festivals which are taking place at Universities and Colleges throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland between March and June 2017.

The Institute is delighted to once again be working in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2017.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Dr Barbara Villa Marcos
The University of Leicester
E-mail: bvm4@leicester.ac.uk

Miss Laura Seamons
Programme Co-ordinator
The Salters’ Institute
E-mail: festivals@salters.co.uk
Website: www.festivalsofchemistry.co.uk

Editors Notes:

1.  The Festivals are one-day events for schools held at Universities and Colleges throughout the UK and Ireland. The first series of Festivals was held in 1991. In 2017 there will be a series of 49 Festivals being hosted by 40 Universities and Colleges between March and June. 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.

2.  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). Prizes for the winning schools are awarded at each Festival and all participants receive fun prizes and certificates.   Since 2000, over 50,000 students have experienced the fun of practical chemistry through the Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry.

3.  Sponsorship support of the Festivals has been raised from over one hundred companies, with many of the Festivals currently sponsored by local companies.

4.  The Salters’ Company is one of the Great Twelve City of London Livery Companies and was founded in 1394 for the medieval trade in salt. The Company’s activities today are centred on charitable and educational giving. The Salters’ Institute, established in 1918, is the Flagship Charity of the Salters’ Company and aims to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences amongst the young and to encourage careers in the teaching of chemistry and in the UK chemical and allied industries.

5.  The Institute’s main activities are the Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry, in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry, for 11 to 13 year olds and Curriculum Development, undertaken at The University of York, which includes Twenty First Century Science a GCSE course, Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Salters Advanced Chemistry, Salters Horners Advanced Physics and the new Best Evidence Science Teaching (BEST) Project for teachers of 11-14 years olds.

6.  Other Institute activities include: Salters’ Chemistry Camps in India for 15 year olds, also in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry; Salters’ Graduate Awards, Salters’ National Awards for Science Technicians in collaboration with CLEAPSS and SSERC; Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology Prizes, Salters Advanced Chemistry Prizes, Salters Horners Advanced Physics Prizes, Salters’ City and Guilds Prizes, and annual events including a Seminar on a current hot topic in Science Education, and culminating with the Salters’ Awards Ceremony which is held towards the end of each year at Salters’ Hall.

7. In 2018 the Salters’ Institute will celebrate 100 years of supporting Science Education. To mark this occasion along with an expansion of the Festivals Programme to include Festivals for students from Year 9, it will launch a number of new projects including Centenary Awards for post graduates and the development of our alumni programme.

SOURCE: University of Leicester

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