Loughborough set to stage events for National Science and Engineering Week

Loughborough University is holding a number of events to mark National Science and Engineering Week, including a Community Day on Saturday, March 15 which is free and open to the public.

The NSEW is a UK-wide programme of events, aimed at people of all ages to celebrate anything related to science, and Loughborough will stage activities from Friday, March 14 to Sunday, March 23.

The Community Day, a fun event for all the family, will be held in the Stewart Mason and James France buildings (1pm–5pm) and brings science to life in an engaging and understandable way.

It tackles some of the universe’s most perplexing problems and covers everything from the physics of Star Wars to the science behind the popular TV series Sherlock.

It also features the university’s Student Formula One team, who are building a single seat racing car in an academic year for a competition that will be staged at Silverstone in July.

Three schools – De Lisle Science College, Humphrey Perkins High School, Barrow, and Castle Rock High School, Coalville, are running their own stalls.

Last year, the Community Day attracted 1,000 people and the organisers are hoping for a similar number this time. Entry is via the Epinal Way entrance.

The Community Day was the idea of Dr Sian Williams, Outreach Officer for the School of Science and Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.

She said: “I started the Community Day two years ago because I wanted to use our students to inspire and enthuse the young and old to see beyond the classroom. It offers everyone the opportunity to meet our students and have a fun day out!”

Also starting on Saturday, and running until the following Sunday, is the Great Loughborough Molecule Hunt which will have budding scientists hunting for molecules, like starch and diamond, in shops and businesses around Churchgate in the town centre.

Anyone wishing to take part can print off the activity sheet at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/nsew/documents/molecule-hunt-worksheet.pdf

To tie in with NSEW, the university is also holding a photography competition which is open to GCSE and A level students in the East Midlands.

Budding photographers will be asked to combine artistic expression with engineering excellence and there are three prizes, with £100, £50 and £20 of Amazon vouchers going to those in first, second and third place.

The university will also be ‘going on tour’ and visiting local schools to provide activities covering a wide variety of themes, including solar power, bath bombs, and volcanoes.

For further details about any of the university’s National Science and Engineering Week activities please check online at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/nsew/ or contact S.L.Williams@lboro.ac.uk or D.W.Haines@lboro.ac.uk

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