A PIONEERING initiative is being launched today to encourage young people to consider careers in science and technology.
Experts from National Museums Scotland are joining forces with a range of heritage attractions across Scotland to deliver Powering Up, a programme of science engagement workshops for schools inspired by the national collections.
Powering Up differs from current educational programmes by bringing expertise beyond the walls of the museum for the first time to venues including New Lanark Heritage Site, National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange and the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine.
A grant of £150,000 from the ScottishPower Foundation is supporting the project, which aims to instil knowledge of the energy sector and encourage Scottish students to consider taking subjects that will lead to a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related career.
As well as funding to deliver practical support with science workshops, the foundation’s money is enabling National Museums Scotland to create new partnerships with universities and within the industry and enhance the national collections. A new science engagement manager and science engagement and outreach officer have been employed to build external partnerships with researchers, scientists, engineers and schools and deliver the science engagement programme.
About 5,000 students and community group members are expected to benefit directly from the initiative over the coming year.
Ann McKechin, executive officer at the ScottishPower Foundation, said the project would help students living in some of the country’s “harder-to-reach communities” access education about some of the country’s most fascinating inventions and innovations.
National Museums Scotland’s science and technology collections are among the most significant in Europe, with scientific instruments ranging back to the eleventh century.
“By engaging with young people through a visionary project such as this, we aim to ultimately create a nation of innovators and inventors,” said McKechin, who will launch the initiative at the New Lanark Heritage Site today with students from St Elizabeth’s Primary School in Hamilton.
One of Scotland’s six Unesco World Heritage sites, New Lanark is the mill village on the River Clyde made famous at the height of the industrial revolution by owner Robert Owen’s enlightened treatment of workers.
Margaret Cliff McNulty, head of development at National Museums Scotland, said: “A year ago we launched our National Strategy: Across Scotland, which underlines our commitment to reaching communities across Scotland, and this funding from the ScottishPower Foundation will help us to do just that. Outreach, partnership working and education are at the heart of all we do and now we will be able to broaden the reach of our science engagement work, taking it across Scotland.”
The grant from the ScottishPower Foundation is part of a four-year partnership with National Museums Scotland, which has already included a donation for the National Museum of Scotland’s Energise Gallery and flagship education programme Get Energised.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here