Wild Elements
Dawn Wilde from Wild Elements shares how the Outreach Fund grant they were awarded last year supported young people in gaining experience and confidence with the world of chemistry.
By Dawn Wilde
Through our project "Chemistry Colours Our World" we successfully engaged with Key Stage 2, to support their family learning and to inspire children to work harder at school.
Family learning is a powerful method of engagement and learning which can foster positive attitudes towards lifelong learning, promote socioeconomic resilience and challenge educational disadvantage.
Chemistry connects to all professions and through this project we revealed to young people that chemists’ work covers a variety of areas and they do not necessarily all wear a white lab coat. We discussed how chemists undertake work in a variety of occupations from laboratories and hospitals to deep sea diving operations.
The day included a variety of teaching and learning techniques, beginning with an introduction to the site and subject matter. Wild Elements staff provided, lead and supported hands-on outdoor activities/ experiments demonstrating the use of everyday items, products and groceries in the home e.g. cabbage, onions and felt pens to conduct an experiment (acid & alkaline, chromatography and light spectrum).
The family learning aim within the project had to be adapted due to COVID-19. However, this aim was achieved through assisting with home schooling. Worksheets of the experiments conducted during the delivered sessions were provided for the children to take with them, which in turn encouraged wider family participation at home.
The value of receiving this grant is immense. Especially seeing the positive response from the children and families involved. They really enjoyed the opportunity of undertaking hands on chemistry experiments and experiments that relate to the real world. They were amazed at how many jobs/careers include the application of chemistry.
It’s fair to say that without the funding from the Royal Society of Chemistry the sessions would not have taken place. It provided us with an opportunity to develop activities to increase engagement with groups of diverse pupils, increase the audiences’ confidence in discussing chemistry and demonstrate the relevance of chemistry to their everyday lives.
A big thank you to the RSC and the pupils and families at the two school which participated in this fabulous project, Ysgol Gynradd Bodedern Primary school and Ysgol Gynradd Talwrn Primary School. Both schools on Ynys Môn.