Chemistry: the next generation (C:TNG), the Aimhigher chemistry outreach initiative run and led by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), is rolling out to three new regions in England. Yorkshire and Humberside, the North East, and the South East regions will receive funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) through Chemistry for our future (CFOF) (see Educ. Chem., 2006, 43(3), 59) to the tune of ca £1.5m over the next two years. The announcement was made by the RSC's chief executive, Richard Pike, at the second national conference for Chemistry: the next generation  (C:TNG) held at Aston University in May.

According to John Selby (acting director, widening participation, HEFCE), speaking at the conference, 'The RSC has played a big part in shaping our thinking on how we approach strategically important but vulnerable STEM subjects. We needed to be able to connect with academics and students, and this is exactly what the RSC did for us' (see Educ. Chem., 2003, 40(4), 86). 

The new HEFCE money comes as a result of the success of the C:TNG programme which has been running in the East Midlands, London, and the North West for the past 18 months. And like this programme, the money will be used to develop and deliver activities that promote the excitement of the chemical sciences and the career opportunities to school and college students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, and who are under-represented in higher education. Importantly, these 11-19-year olds have the ability to go on to HE but rarely consider it as an option; they represent a huge untapped source for HE. 

The C:TNG conference attracted around 70 people from university chemistry departments, the chemical industry, schools and colleges, and representatives from Aimhigher and HEFCE. Dissemination of good practice - just how it's all done and what works - was the focus of the one-day meeting. And importantly, questions such as 'What has C:TNG achieved in the past 18 months?' and 'Where is it heading?' were also on the agenda.

The road to success 

According to Kate Burrell, national coordinator of C:TNG based at the RSC, 'Over 10,000 students have taken part in the activities delivered to the first three regions to date, and feedback from the students after the events suggests that ca 70 per cent of them are now more likely to consider going on to higher education to do a degree in chemistry or the chemical sciences'.  

The activities run over the past 18 months by C:TNG are proving extremely popular, with many being constantly oversubscribed. Spectroscopy days, for example, is a university-based event aimed at Y12 and Y13 students. Working in small groups, the students get the opportunity to run their own ir, nmr and ms spectra of pre-prepared samples. Later in the day they take part in a problem-solving activity with help from undergraduates, who are themselves enrolled on the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS). (The UAS is offered as a module in five university chemistry departments; undergraduates work with teachers in schools, the overall aim being to encourage more science undergraduates into teaching.)  

Integral to all C:TNG activities is a careers element. In Spectroscopy days, for example, the students are given a careers talk by an industrial chemist - usually someone young and dynamic to dispel any preconceived ideas the students and their teachers may have about stereotypical chemists. The chemists talk about their progression from HE into their current job and what they do. 

Other C:TNG successes include masterclasses, demonstration lectures of the flash bang type, summer schools - Y9 and Y10 students get the opportunity to spend a few days at a university to find out what it is really like - and a host of hands-on, one-day events that focus on subjects familiar to students. They get involved in real problem-solving activities, often using state-of-the-art equipment and, importantly, get to meet real chemists. The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) careers fair, held last November, also proved to be a huge success. According to Andy Takle, director of medical chemistry at GSK, 'The buzz of excitement as the youngsters saw the impressive Harlow labs for the first time was amazing, and followed them through the day. Feedback suggests that they are looking at chemistry in a new light, and considering where chemistry might take them'. 

Collaboration, collaboration . 

One of HEFCE's conditions for its cash is that C:TNG must collaborate, not only with other universities and industry within a region but also with partners in the government-funded Aimhigher initiative. An example of a potentially useful collaboration is an e-mentoring scheme which is being developed with the Brightside Trust. The idea is that students will be able to link up with a chemist via the RSC's website for careers advice, help with their coursework etc.  

Aimhigher links have also meant that C:TNG has been able to buy into programmes already up and running for its Aimhigher schools that are strapped for cash. Revision conferences aimed at Y12 students run by publishers are one example. Recently, too, C:TNG negotiated with the Salters' Institute to buy out half the places on a London Chemistry Camp. This meant that rather than the onus being left to schools to get involved with Salters, C:TNG regional coordinators targeted the Aimhigher teachers directly and helped them to get their students onto the camp.  

Dave Lathbury, AstraZeneca R&D, closing the Aston conference emphasised that the success C:TNG has already achieved is down to collaboration. Industry is working with universities and schools and colleges in a three-way partnership. 'And importantly', he said, 'universities are putting aside competition with each other and instead working together to try to increase the pool of youngsters going on to study chemistry in higher education'.  

What next? 

The latest HEFCE monies not only provide the funds to roll out C:TNG to the three new regions, but also ensure that the current level of funding is sustained in the existing regions until August 2008. By the end of 2008, if C:TNG is to be rolled out to the remaining regions in England - West Midlands, the South West, and the east of England - as is the RSC's intention, the initiative will have to have evidence of success.  

According to Burrell, 'By the end of 2008 we need to have demonstrated impact, ideally in the form of destination data. Initially we will gather data on attitude evaluation studies that we collect from student feedback after each event, and we will also be looking at individual students from each region to assess how involvement in C:TNG activities has affected their attitudes and their perceptions of their future'. Ultimately HEFCE is looking for 5 per cent of students from schools and colleges participating in this programme to go on to study chemistry or chemistry-related subjects in HE. 

Regional coordinators for the three new regions are expected to be in place in selected host universities this Autumn. Launch outreach events will follow shortly afterwards. To get involved in the project contact Dr Kate Burrell, the Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA (Tel: 020-7440 3330).

KR