SOUTH YORKSHIRE TO HOST MAJOR SCHOOLS’ SCIENCE EVENT

16 AUGUST 2021

South Yorkshire is set to host the North Star Science School with Professor Brian Cox CBE on 24^th November at Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park Resort and at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

This major event for schools, now in its second year, promotes innovation and opportunity in the South Yorkshire region to inspire the next generation to consider careers in STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths).

North Star is part of the Science Summer School national initiative co-founded in 2012 by Professor Cox and Lord Andrew Mawson OBE with the aim of making Britain the best place in the world to do science and engineering. The event is presented in partnership with Well North Enterprises, a social business led by Lord Mawson.

North Star will be led and organised by The Work-wise Foundation, a non-profit, employer-led charity which aims to develop young people for employment in STEAM subjects within the South Yorkshire region.

Professor Brian Cox, Britain’s leading physicist and science communicator will officially launch North Star on November 24th and also appear as the keynote speaker. The event will be hosted by Ruth Amos, inventor and founder of Kids Invent Stuff.

It will be open to Year 8 and 9 pupils from South Yorkshire schools who will have the opportunity to hear inspiring speeches from a range of special guests invited from across the science and engineering spectrum and complete a series of hands-on interactive workshops.

The event is being funded by business and local authority sponsors including Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield City Council, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Forged Solutions Group, Barratt Developments plc, Ibstock plc, Harworth Group plc, The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Gulliver’s Valley Theme Park Resort.

There will be a special opportunity for current and prospective project sponsors and supporters to hear Professor Cox speak at a special ‘invitation only’ evening event at the Advanced Manufacturing Park on November 24th.

John Barber, CEO of The Work-wise Foundation explains:

“The daytime event is designed to connect our young people to inspirational businesses which will spark their imaginations and set them on the road to great opportunities in STEAM careers. It is very exciting to be welcoming Professor Brian Cox to South Yorkshire and we look forward to seeing the impact this whole event could have on raising aspirations and shaping careers choices for our region’s young people.”

Lord Mawson, Co-Founder of Science Summer School says:

“Well North and The Work-wise Foundation share the same philosophy. Simply put, we need more young people to get into science and engineering but we also need to help them to learn the right skills for the exciting range of careers on offer. We want to create an inspirational event which connects the ongoing science curriculum in schools with local businesses and builds on these relationships year-round. North Star Science School is perfectly placed to help to achieve this in South Yorkshire. In addition, there are significant opportunities for Rotherham and South Yorkshire which go far beyond the day itself. The event can also act as a catalyst to bring key stakeholders together around place-making, education, health, business, public, voluntary and community sectors. It’s about joining the dots to transform culture and aspiration and create pathways into work”.

John Barber adds:

“The Work-wise Foundation backs Professor Cox’s vision for the UK to become the best place in world to practice Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. South Yorkshire has a proud industrial heritage, playing a major part in the first industrial revolution and now the region is demonstrating to its young people how innovation, technology and advanced manufacturing are skills that can be developed here and go on to transform the world. This event couldn’t go ahead without its sponsors and supporters who recognise what a difference it could make to the lives of young people in this area and we cannot thank them enough.”

Businesses interested in becoming sponsors for the North Star Science School event should contact Emily Woods at Emily@work-wise.co.uk / 07847433088 or John Barber at john@work-wise.co.uk / 07500 331400.