The Benefits of a Junior STEM Club For Young Scientific Minds
STEM club for Young Scientists - By Rhea (University of Oxford Medicine)
Interest for STEM subjects in younger students should be harnessed. The sciences are, after all, our future. The response of the scientific community to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially through the development of promising vaccinations, only goes to show this. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations are based on mRNA- a new, exciting development in the field of vaccinations which has only ever been seen in cancers previously. This is a prime example of how scientific principles can be translated from one niche to another, and have outstanding results! Although it is probably unlikely that young students are going to produce the next Covid-19 vaccination, they do share something in common with the scientists behind these vaccines. Creative thinking.
Kids have a thirst for scientific knowledge. Often, this is stimulated by interactive sessions, which engage their interest in a subject, or through seeing scientific phenomena through their own eyes. Whether that’s as simple as observing star constellations and how phases of the Moon vary through a month, or performing chemistry experiments in laboratories, all of these experiences are inspiring, and stick with a kid for a lifetime.
In one of my earliest memories of chemistry, for example, our science teacher added potassium to a petri dish of water, and I was amazed by the results. The potassium wildly fizzed, moved around in circles, and gave off a vibrant purplish-coloured flame. I had no idea why that was the case, but at the time I was too memorised to even care why. However, when I came to really learning about the chemical principles of potassium and other Group 1 metals, I remembered that experiment vividly. Suddenly, learning did not feel like something which had to be a chore, but could be linked to really exciting things!
Even though I no longer study chemistry directly, that interest in the subject has still remained with me. So much so that I have picked up chemical pharmacology as an additional subject this year. Although I find the online lectures fascinating, I do miss the practical element which would have been possible pre-Covid times. The fact that kids, around the age of 11, are being virtually schooled and are probably not getting that experimental, lab-based experiences is so unfortunate. But, there are solutions! STEM sessions can still be so engaging and fun, even if it has to be virtual!
Firstly, a virtual group of like-minded students can discuss topics they find interesting and bounce ideas off each other. The benefits of learning from others cannot be underestimated! Not only can students learn facts from each other, but, arguably more importantly, they can develop ways of thinking differently and out of the box. Kids are at the age where they are not scared by inhibitions, they are not limited by what may or may not be feasible- the sky is their limit! This is a great quality for developing a scientific mind, and should be nurtured in a safe environment. STEM sessions also have the added benefit of breaking up an otherwise mundane school schedule, and gives kids the opportunity to meet and discuss ideas with people outside of their school environment.
Secondly, in the coming weeks, we have decided to add a more student-led, research based element to the STEM sessions. We will have sessions on how to develop good scientific experimental and research skills, which will harness kid’s creativity as well as develop a logical, systematic way of using this imaginative thinking. Kids can choose to focus on any of the topics covered in previous STEM sessions, or anything else which they might be interested in. In their chosen topics of interest, the students will be helped to develop ideas of safe but fun experiments which can be conducted at home, and guidance on how to collect and process results. Alternatively, students can choose to research their chosen topic, in which case they will be guided through ways of sourcing accurate science material, how to present information clearly in a report and how to reference material which has been used. After these STEM experimental skills sessions, the students will work on the projects in their own time and present their finished product in our final session. We are also hoping that it may be possible to submit good projects to the Big Bang Fair Science Festival!
In conclusion, a student’s interest in STEM should be harnessed at a young age, when everything science-related in the world around them has the potential to trigger a long-lasting love for the subject. In these current times dominated by virtual learning, STEM club present a way to quench that thirst.
Keen to Join our Junior STEM Club?
Many schools only offer science at a very basic level until GCSE, but the students who succeed in later academic life, especially those who may wish to eventually pursue a scientific discipline at university, have nurtured scientific curiosity independently from a far younger age. Our Junior STEM Club sessions focus on inspiring students by giving them exposure to scientific breakthroughs of our time and encouraging them to adopt a scientist’s mode of logical and critical thinking. E.g. Exploring genetic engineering, analysing dinosaur fossils to work out family trees and using maths to inch one step closer in our unravelling the mystery of the universe, amongst a range of other exciting classes.
Rhea, the author of this blog, is our host!
Rhea is a medical student at the University of Oxford and excels in all fields of science - Rhea was the winner of Peterhouse College, University of Cambridge's prestigious essay competition, with her answer to the question, "Why isn't there a cure for cancer?" She was also awarded the Silver Crest Award by the British Science Association for her research project on the effects of different foods on cardiovascular disease, was presented the British Physics Olympiad Gold Award at the Royal Society in London, achieved three Maths publications in NRICH with the University of Cambridge and was invited to the UKMT Maths Summer School at Oxford University following her performance in the Maths Olympiad, amongst other accolades. Rhea's passion for science and unusual success across numerous scientific disciplines makes her an extremely inspiring mentor for younger students looking to achieve similar accolades.
Read another blog by Rhea over on our on-curriculum division, U2 Tuition: Exploring the Realms of Off-Curriculum Scientific Learning, for some further ideas to kickstart off-syllabus science exploration!
Sessions are £30/ class. Visit the STEM Club page for the upcoming classes outline and further information.