PROFESSOR BRIAN COX TO INSPIRE NORTHERN IRELAND STEAM STUDENTS THROUGH SCIENCE SCHOOL PROJECT

Leading physicist and television presenter Professor Brian Cox CBE FRS is to travel to Northern Ireland for the second consecutive year for an innovative school’s initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and inventors.

‘Activate Your Curiosity – A Science Summer School Event’ is spearheaded by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and will take place in The Braid, Ballymena, on Tuesday 21 January. The event aims to inspire up to 400 young people, via a combination of STEAM seminars, discussions, hands-on experiments and insights.

The event is part funded by the Department for Communities, Labour Market Partnership which creates targeted employment action plans for council areas, allowing for collaboration at local and regional level to support people towards and into work.

Professor Cox will join the students as well as leading educators and influencers from the world of science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths.

“I am delighted to be able to attend this event for the second year running and help to encourage students in Northern Ireland to develop an interest in science and engineering.” said Professor Cox.

“These young people are our future, and we hope today’s event may lead them towards a fulfilling job in STEAM with exciting career prospects.

“The initiative offers the students a great mix of inspiration and innovation coupled with a practical ‘learning by doing’ approach which should activate the curiosity of everyone attending.

“These students have the talent to make a positive difference through STEAM within our local communities, across our planet and beyond.  Our mission today is to help unlock this fantastic human resource and Northern Ireland has a key role to play in making the UK the best place in the world to do science and engineering.”

Keynote speakers include Kilwaughter Minerals Research Scientist, Benjamin Martin; Head of Research and Data Analytics at Wrightbus, Dr Andy Harris; Practitioner and Professor of Simulation at the Centre for Medical Education, Queen’s University Belfast, Professor Gerry Gormley and Group HR Manager at GES Group, Maeve Cunning.

Pupils from schools in Ballymena, Larne, Carrickfergus, Dungannon, Omagh, Enniskillen and Ballycastle will be taking part, including Cambridge House, Dunclug College, St Killian’s College and Ulidia College.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Beth Adger MBE, said the council was delighted to be working with local businesses, schools, universities, and partner organisations to bring this initiative to the borough: “The Science Summer School lifts a lid on the myriad of opportunities that exist in science.

“It is our hope that young people will be inspired to embark on an exciting future in this field – and maybe even become leaders in science.”

This event is sponsored by Kilwaughter Minerals, Ryobi, Michelin Development, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, Caterpillar, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Moore Concrete, GES Group, Wrightbus, EPUKI Phoenix Engineering.

The Science Summer School project was established in 2012 at St Paul’s Way Trust School in East London by Professor Cox and Lord Andrew Mawson OBE.

It has since expanded nationally with the aim of making “the UK the best place to do science and engineering in the world.”

For further information on the initiative visit www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/ScienceSummerSchool