Fresh Air – Fresh Thinking: Volunteers Needed

To support a project for Primary and Secondary School Students: September 2021 to June 2022

We are launching a major new science, technology and computing project for primary and secondary schools.

We are looking for volunteers (STEM Ambassadors) who will help us by working as a champion to support student teams with the following:

• Collect weather and air quality information (equipment will be supplied).
• Interpret, publish and share data in real-time with other schools – opportunity for coding and web development.
• Undertake a survey of student, staff or parent perceptions of air pollution.
• Design and carry out a scientific investigation into clean air, nitrous oxides or particulate matter. Or you can discuss your own idea with your CSES School Champion to develop your own unique study.

Do you have a few hours a month to support this exciting project?

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Optimising the new normal: the central enabler of TRUST

Report from CSES Spotlight Event, 15 April 2021

In April 2021, CSES held a 'spotlight' meeting to discuss the role that trust plays in stimulating and enabling new partnerships between users and providers. Specifically, the event explored the role of trust in the context of emerging trends in the four sectors of focus: healthcare, planning, digital economy and education. This follows directly from the Covid recovery roundtable hosted by CSES and Essex County Council in October 2020.

The event concluded that:

• There is a clear case for multidisciplinary collaboration, and there is appetite among the group to establish a more formal model for this.
• Each sector's issues are connected and cannot be considered in isolation. Any collaborative initiative must adopt a "whole system" approach.
• Diversity and inclusion are not simply "nice to haves"; they are essential to getting things right. Whilst the existing stakeholder group is relatively diverse, the model that we adopt to bring about action must be fully inclusive.
• To achieve the necessary levels of system integration, inclusion, diversity and participation, trust among the parties is essential.

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IET Engineering Stories Podcast

Listen to the stories of those working in engineering, including CSES President Adam Wood

In association with Silver Fox, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have launched a series of podcasts called Engineering Stories. These are an excellent opportunity for young engineers to hear the tales of those who have been there and done that.

In Episode 3, hosts Alex and Connor welcome Systems Engineer, Adam Wood to the show. Adam has had an interesting career working in the rail, defence and healthcare sectors, currently working at Teledyne e2v. Adam shares some interesting insight on the similarities and differences between them, as well as talks about the work he is doing for the Chelmsford Science & Engineering Society.

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Fresh Air – Fresh Thinking

A project for Primary and Secondary School Students: September 2021 to June 2022

We are launching a major new science, technology and computing project for primary and secondary schools.

We are looking for participating schools across Essex to become CSES School Affiliate Members where student teams will:

• Collect weather and air quality information (equipment will be supplied).
• Interpret, publish and share data in real-time with other schools – opportunity for coding and web development.
• Undertake a survey of student, staff or parent perceptions of air pollution.
• Design and carry out a scientific investigation into clean air, nitrous oxides or particulate matter. Or you can discuss your own idea with your CSES School Champion to develop your own unique study.

To maximise the success of these student-led projects, additional competitive funding may be available from our CSES STEM Club Bursary.

There will be PRIZES for the most innovative, best data and greatest impact entry in each age group, presented at our annual awards ceremony at Anglia Ruskin University in July. In consultation with your CSES Champion, teams may be funded to enter their project for an appropriate level National CREST Award.

We are now looking for schools across Essex (including the unitary authorities) to become CSES School Affiliate Members and discuss how they would like to be involved in this exciting project.

Please contact our Vice President for Education, Professor David Humber, for further information (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

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Centenary Photographic Competition 2021

After our very successful 2020 photographic competition, which received some outstanding photographs depicting important aspects of the history of science and technology in Essex, we are pleased to open again for entries in 2021.

The competition is open to anyone in full time or part time education in Essex and again explores the key link between the creative arts and STEM. As part of a bigger project, which we will be running later this year, the theme of this year's competition is:

Fresh Air, Fresh Thinking

While pollution is a multifaceted global problem, from agricultural pollutants such as nitrates and ammonia to mercury and lead contamination and of course our worrying reliance on single-use plastics, air pollution is often less noticeable but is increasingly harming both our health and our environment.

We want you to take photographs that express what air pollution means to you, or how it impacts our health or our environment, and the negative or positive roles that technology can play. Each photograph should be accompanied with a short explanation (not more than 50 words) of the story or thoughts behind it.

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Spring 2021 Imagine! STEAM Competition winners announced

Environmental Challenge | Plastic – friend or foe? | Trust Science: Make Essex Covid-Safe

A BIG thank you and well done to everyone who entered our spring 2021 Imagine! STEAM competitions on the themes of sustainability and Covid vaccination. We were pleased to receive so many entries, which you can see on our web gallery, and enjoyed picking the winners. Congratulations to everyone who received a prize, listed below.

Visit our web gallery to see all the posters and videos entered.

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