Always a highlight of the events calendar, this year’s Northern Ireland Science Festival boasts over 120 events, combining unique outdoor experiences and virtual workshops for all ages, and features world-renowned scientific experts.
The vibrant Schools and Educators programme offers students the opportunity to take part in a virtual session. Aspiring astronauts will get the opportunity to explore space through coding, sound design and even origami and budding young artists will get the opportunity to create comics, form bands with digital music technology and much more.
This year’s Schools & Educators Programme will be headlined by none other than European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake. RTE’s Mark Langtry (aka Mark the Science Guy), festival favourite Jon Chase and award-winning materials scientist and engineer Anna Ploszajski also feature.
In December 2015, European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake became the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station to conduct a spacewalk (and run a marathon!) whilst orbiting Earth. Tim will give a personal take on what it’s like to live and work in space and he will answer questions submitted by school kids from across Northern Ireland. This very special event will be hosted by Theoretical Physicist, TV presenter, Science Communicator (and former professional footballer) Mark Langtry on Friday 12th February.
Post-primary pupils can join science communicator, author and rapper Jon Chase as he raps about all things Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). GCSE students are invited to hear award-winning materials scientist Anna Ploszajski recount the nail-biting story of what it takes to swim the English Channel.
Nerve Centre's Education Manager Rachel McDermott says: 'The classroom today is unrecognisable from 12 months ago. Our young people have adapted to being seated at kitchen tables and bedroom desks across the region, eager to learn and engage with their teachers and classmates.
'We’re extremely pleased to reveal this year’s NI Science Festival schools and educators programme to offer teachers free resources and unrivalled access to world-leading academics, researchers and science communicators. We hope the programme can provide additional support to educators everywhere working to engage and excite their students while delivering distance learning.
'We’re grateful, too, to the many festival partners who are supporting us to deliver this year’s fantastic line-up of events which showcase the breadth of opportunity for a future career in STEM-related subjects.'
The Education programme has been developed in partnership with Nerve Centre, Creggan Country Park, Armagh Planetarium, Belfast Zoo, Ulster University, Queen’s University and more. If you would like your school or college to attend any of the festival’s educational events, please contact Education Manager Rachel McDermott.
The Schools & Educators programme takes place from February 8 to 12. For further information, visit www.nisciencefestival.com