Edinburgh International Science Festival, powered by EDF Energy, visited St David’s R.C. Primary School on Monday to give a hand in launching the school’s Science Week to show how much fun learning about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) can be. It involved some thrilling experiments that saw the pupils learn how rockets work by launching their own made from balloons and bottles!
The Festival’s educational outreach programme Generation Science also delivered two workshops for the pupils: Power from the People explores the science behind electricity and Good Vibrations delves into the mysteries of music and digitised voices.
The visit kick-started the Science Festival’s initiative in engaging as many people as possible with science.
This year the Science Festival is taking science to people across the city in a number of locations including North Edinburgh Arts and Leith’s Hidden Door Festival in May.
Three events will be held at North Edinburgh Arts during this year’s Science Festival including a screening of Pixar’sRatatouille coupled with a snack box to complement the film’s food explorations; LicketyPLAY!, a fun and informative children’s show from NEA’s resident theatre company LicketySpit and the RZSS Wild About Scotland bus is also heading to NEA to wow and amaze the community with its animal activities.
Festival and Creative Director Amanda Tyndall said: “We want to make science as accessible as possible to communities all around Edinburgh and delighted to be part of St David R.C.’s Science Week celebrations! We look forward to building on this and other relationships with community partners across Edinburgh this year.”
Nikki Wright, Principal Teacher at St David’s R.C. Primary School, said: “We are really passionate about Science Week, this being our second year, as we pride ourselves on being a school where STEM is evident and where children are exposed to the importance of STEM careers. Children get to meet scientists from a broad range of science backgrounds, meeting both male and female visitors.
“Having the Science Festival involved includes the children in Edinburgh’s passion for STEM in schools and gives them a sneak peek at what they can access over the Easter holidays during the festival.”
The Edinburgh International Science Festival’s community learning includes working with a number of partners around Edinburgh, primarily from North Edinburgh and Leith, to support Festival attendance through ticket distribution and to help build relationships for the future.
Joining in for the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People the Science Festival’s Youth Consultation Group is helping to plan and devise Science Festival events, with young artists helping to create a gigantic balloon sculpture as part of the Science Festival’s Existence exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.
The Festival’s famous busking bikes performing science experiments on the streets will also visit various Edinburgh communities, so keep an eye on the Festival’s Twitter account for live updates on locations (@EdSciFest).
To browse all Edinburgh International Science Festival events go to www.sciencefestival.co.uk
Stay in touch on Twitter @EdSciFest and www.facebook.com/
Pictures: Ian Georgeson
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