25 May 2012

University to host Festival of Chemistry for pupils

Photo opportunity: 2.15-3pm on Wednesday, 6th June at Carnelly Building, University of Dundee. High school pupils will be treated to a 'Chemical Magic' demonstration.

Dozens of school pupils from the Tayside and Grampian areas will take part in a fun-filled celebration of chemistry at the University of Dundee next week.

Forty-four S1 and S2 pupils from seven schools will participate in the Salters' Festival of Chemistry, which will be held at the College of Life Sciences' Carnelly Building on Wednesday, 6th June. The pupils will form teams and undertake a series of challenges in an attempt to impress the panel of judges.

During the morning the teams will take part in a competitive, hands-on, practical activity. The Salters' Challenge - "Money, Money, Money" will see the pupils use their analytical chemistry skills to solve the set puzzle.

In the afternoon, they will compete in the "University Challenge", a practical activity chosen by CLS staff, which will test their understanding of density as they help a local chemical company sort out a 'labelling' problem. This will be followed by a 'Chemical Magic' demonstration by Stuart Rogers, Science Learning Officer at Dundee Science Centre.

The event will be hosted by Dr Liz Lakin, who said everyone at CLS was looking forward to welcoming the pupils.

"Hopefully we will encourage them to take up science as a career and may even see some of them back here as students in the not too distant future. I'm sure everyone will enjoy their day and will get a flavour of the type of work that takes place within a university science department."

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.

The Salters' Festivals of Chemistry are an initiative of The Salters' Institute, whose aim is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young.

The event at The University of Dundee is one of a series of 54 Festivals which are taking place at Universities throughout the UK and Ireland between March and June this year. During the last 11 years, over 31,500 students have experienced the fun of practical chemistry through the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry.

The teams taking part in the Dundee festival are: Albyn School (Aberdeen), Arbroath High School (Angus), Craigie High School, Grove Academy, Harris Academy, Menzieshill High School (all Dundee), and St Margaret's School for Girls Aberdeen).

Notes to editors:

1. 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. In 2012 there will be a series of 54 Festivals being hosted by 40 universities 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 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. During the last eleven years, over 31,500 students have experienced the fun of practical chemistry through the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry.
3. Since 1991 sponsorship support of the Festivals has been raised from over one hundred companies. Many of the Festivals are also 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, and now the Flagship Charity of the Salters' Company, 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.
5. The Institute's three core activities are the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry for 11 to 13 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 Twenty First Century Science and Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Salters Advanced Chemistry and Salters Horners Advanced Physics.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277