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 (
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.
Read more: Optimising the new normal: the central enabler of TRUST
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.
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.
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.
Read more: Spring 2021 Imagine! STEAM Competition winners announced
CSES exhibiting at virtual event hosted by The STEM Hub and Southend Borough Council
Link to original article at The STEM Hub:
https://thestemhub.org.uk/news/news-article/southend-virtual-career-fair
The Southend Virtual Career Fair launches on Tuesday 4th May, showcasing a range of employers and career opportunities available in and around your local area. The fair has a number of different sections including; creative, construction, digital, engineering and advanced manufacturing, finance, health and social care, hospitality and leisure, and the public sector.
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UKTV's Specialist factual channel Yesterday is airing an eight part series on the buildings that helped fight Hitler. CSES's Chris Neale tells the series about Baddow Tower.
Airing every Monday from April 19th, The Buildings that Fought Hitler is an eight part series exploring the range of buildings, structures and engineering that would help defend Britain in the case of Nazi invasion.
Chris Neale, CSES's Programme Manager, helps present a segment describing the role that Baddow Tower, one of the original Chain Home Radar Towers, played in the defence of the country.
You can see Chris in episode 4, broadcast on Monday 10 May at 8pm. Catch up on UKTV Play.
Read more: The Buildings that Fought Hitler - Featuring Baddow Tower
CSES to host Ask Me Anything (AMA) event on 15 March 2021
In an exciting new development for CSES, we will be hosting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) event on Reddit.
If you are not familiar with the AMA format, it is where notable groups and individuals invite the community to ask them any question, which they will do their best to answer in near real-time.
LIVE link to Reddit: https://redd.it/m5i6g5
The STEM Ambassador Programme, in partnership with Brightside charity, is launching a national online mentoring scheme to support young people who are interested in STEM.
Available from end of February to May 2021, the scheme pairs each young person with a STEM Ambassador volunteer who is ready to support them with exploring STEM career options, helping them to feel more confident about their future. The mentoring will take place flexibly, through a moderated messaging system and all STEM Ambassadors are DBS or PVG checked as standard. Register by 7 March.
Read more: STEM Ambassador Programme Launches Online Mentoring Scheme
- Trust Science: Help Make Essex Covid-Safe
- CSES Centenary Calendar
- CSES Imagine! Plastic – Friend or Foe?
- CSES Imagine! Environmental Challenge
- Centenary Photo Competition winners announced
- CSES hosts Covid recovery roundtable
- Teaching GCSE Science with Circus Skills
- Essex County Council Laptop Donations
- Arkwright Engineering Scholarships: Celebrating 30 Years
- A Great British Railway Journey... to Sandford Mill?