STEM Archives - Page 9 of 13 - Millennium Point

Every year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grants programme gives out grants of up to £20,000 to support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects in the West Midlands. Applications are now open for 2021.

Here is one of the many projects that the programme has funded in 2020:

‘BREAKING THE BARRIERS TO STEM’

Who’s running the project?
The project is managed by a parent’s voluntary organisation in partnership with King Solomon International Business School – Birmingham’s first all-through (4-19) Christian free school, which specialises in international business and entrepreneurship. The Parent School Partnership (PSP) was established in 2015 by parents of pupils who attend the school. To this end, PSP activities have been by donation of time, gifts and resources from willing parents and community partners – and now Millennium Point.

What’s it all about?
An inner-city school in Birmingham with a high proportion of BAME (Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities) pupils, its ambition is to ‘break barriers’ and increase STEM engagement across the entire pupil population, whatever their gender or ethnicity, through a series of onsite activities, workshops, clubs, as well as STEM-related off-site trips. For a lot of children at the school, this will be their only chance to experience this kind of specialist learning in addition to the national curriculum and the aim is for them to be immersed into the world of STEM; give them opportunities that they otherwise would not have to boost STEM participation and be excited about the possibilities of careers in STEM.

The PSP and school has identified gaps in the children’s exposure to STEM learning and wants to reach individuals from urban, challenged or hard to reach backgrounds by providing all of this free of charge to prevent barriers to their involvement.

The project will include the following:

Code Club – an after-school club designed to immerse students in the world of code – HTML, Java, CSS etc.
Eco-friendly sensory wildlife garden – designed to help students explore science in a practical way and learn about life cycles, growing, plants, climate, habitats, weather. The Code Club will create a QR code for the various plants and environments, which can be scanned to get the information about the optimum climate for growth etc.
Equipment – for a variety of science and maths experiments, including one which will measure the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels in classrooms and outside areas.
Excursions – a range of STEM-related school trips, including Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust; Planetarium at Thinktank; Jaguar Land Rover Wolverhampton; Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Who does it benefit?
The aim is everyone at the school, from ages 4-19, a total of around 1,200 pupils.

What they said: Jean McLeod, lead chair of the Parent School Partnership, said: “We want to increase STEM engagement opportunities across the whole school, both Primary and Secondary. We are an inner-city school in Birmingham – 98% BAME – and we want to make sure that this traditionally marginalised group is not missing out on opportunities for STEM learning and careers in STEM. We have identified gaps in the children’s exposure to STEM learning; we want to reach individuals from urban, challenged or hard to reach backgrounds by providing these activities without the barrier of cost.”

When’s it all happening?
Work on the QR codes and sensory garden began in September. Other projects will be delivered and completed across the school year.

About grant funding from Millennium Point
Applications for 2021 grant funding have now closed. For information on the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Grants programme 2022, please visit: millenniumpoint.org.uk/grants

(Images in order: Featured Image – Faith Smith and Dylan Binns, King Solomon International Business School, Pupils testing our the QR codes in their Sensory Garden, Abbie Vlahakis, Millennium Point CEO with Jean McLeod, Head of PSP, standing by the Sensory Garden.)

Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.

Applications are now open for our life-changing scholarship at Birmingham City University.

Each year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust fully fund an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, which covers over 20 different courses across computing, digital technology, engineering and the built environment. Now in its seventh year, the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship has already funded six young people from the region through their degrees at Birmingham City University – which originally started as the Young Innovator Prize in 2015.

The competition is open to applicants aged 17 and over within the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2021. To apply, they need to download and complete our quick and easy application form from our website by answering four questions. They will then submit their completed form to [email protected] by Sunday 31st January 2021. We will invite five applicants to a final assessment day in March 2021 before deciding a winner.

Who can apply?
Applications are only being accepted from students living in the West Midlands Combined Authority, who cannot already have or currently be studying an undergraduate degree. The scholarship only applies to a qualifying course at Birmingham City University. For further information, check out the rules section.

Why should they apply?
All finalists will benefit from the programme with opportunities that can kick start their career in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM). One person will get a fully funded degree – which means they won’t pay their undergraduate tuition fees. They’ll also have several opportunities to develop through networking, events and industry links provided through Millennium Point. All finalists receive skills development and training to build their confidence before the live final. Following the competition, they can become an alumnus of the programme and benefit from a range of opportunities such as mentoring, work placements and networking.

Why do we do this?
Birmingham and the West Midlands is teeming with unfettered STEM talent. Now, more than ever, young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is one of several ways we, as a charitable trust, support the growth of STEM industries in the region and do our bit to secure the future and economic growth of an area and a community that has been designated the largest hub for science and innovation outside of London. For more information on how you can get involved please visit this page.

Get started
If you or someone you know is interested, head over to millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship and start the application.

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Organisations within the West Midlands Combined Authority have just one week left to apply for a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects. Not-for-profits, schools and charities can apply for funding from £1,000 up to £20,000 from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to fund their STEM projects starting in September 2021. Projects can be activity focussed or for the purchasing of resources and materials which enables STEM-related education to children or communities. With the deadline fast approaching, we are urging organisations not to miss out on this important funding opportunity.

Applications close on Monday 30th November at 5pm.

How do you apply?
Applicants will need to download and complete the application form on the Millennium Point website. The completed application should be submitted to [email protected] before 5 pm on Monday 30th November 2020.

Since 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has donated over £969,000 through its annual grants process to a diverse range of projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities and museums. This year Millennium Point awarded £560,000 to fund over 60 projects across the region. Projects funded include ‘STEM stars’ from Aston Villa Foundation, a programme which engages young people in coding using football; and ‘Sensory STEM’ from Longwill School for the Deaf, Northfield, and a programme teaching the science of rollercoasters to children with illnesses, which will make science more visual and accessible to their pupils through science-based equipment and an enhanced curriculum.

Where does the money come from?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust owns the 46,450 sqm landmark Millennium Point building on Curzon street in the eastside of Birmingham City Centre (opposite the future Curzon Railway). Millennium Point is “COVID Secure” and has 17 versatile event spaces capable of holding a variety of events from meetings to formal dinners. Profits from our commercial activity as a landmark public building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue feedback into the charitable trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives. The grants scheme is our flagship initiative alongside the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship which funds at least one young person’s undergraduate degree each year at Birmingham City University.

Head over to our grants page and start your application. Applications close at 5 pm on Monday 30th November 2020.

Each year Millennium Point Charitable Trust give hundreds-of-thousands in grants to schools, charities and not-for-profits in Birmingham and the wider region. These grants fund projects, resources and activities which enhance education of science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) education. While applications for 2021 are open now, we look at how a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust changed one primary school for the better.

Great Bridge Primary School – “Lego WeDo” Project
Great Bridge Primary, Tipton, is a large primary school with over 500 students. The school sits in an area of known deprivation within the region. Like many of its kind, the school suffers from limited funding which means a restricted programme to engage pupils in the opportunities of STEM learning. In 2019, they successfully applied for a grant from the Millennium Point Trust to change this.

Their application sought to enhance their teaching and learning within computing and coding which would expand their currently limited curriculum. The grant-funded 17 LEGO WeDo sets, for coding lessons at the school alongside resources to help train staff in how to use the equipment. “LEGO WeDo” are sets designed for primary school classrooms comprising of an assortment of physical LEGO building components, electronics and accompanying software for desktops or mobile devices. With the kits, the pupils at the school can build physical LEGO models including tilt and movement sensors and motors then control them via code they build themselves in the dedicated LEGO WeDo software programme. Students would then be set real-life scenarios in which to come up with models and code that would suit, such as creating a science rover to explore a radioactive setting or spy bots detecting movement.

What was the impact?
Now the school benefits from an engaging computing curriculum which is inspiring their students to pursue STEM learning previously unobtainable. Over 120 Year 5 and 6 pupils benefited from the programme. Each 2-hour lesson developing their computer and coding literacy alongside transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and communication. Most significantly, the project has created a much stronger enthusiasm for STEM subjects, with the school reporting an increase in student performance. Similarly, several members of staff also benefited from the project which improved their confidence with computing and coding, allowing for them to set more engaging and “outside-of-the-box” tasks for the pupils as their confidence with the equipment grew.

Judith Bedford, Computing Curriculum Leader for Great Bridge Primary Comments:
“Enhancing the computing curriculum for upper Key Stage 2 at Great Bridge has had an immediate impact. The children who have taken part in the initial part of the project have had the opportunity to see how coding can be used to control a range of physical mechanisms and relate this to developing knowledge of coding in real-life scenarios […] As a school, we will not look back on our Computing curriculum but instead, this project has made us look to the future and consider how we can inspire children to engage with STEM.”

This is just one example of how a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust can help make a difference to schools in the region. Applications are now open for 2021 and close on 30^th November 2020. For further information visit millenniumpoint.org.uk/grants

Here is one of the many projects that the programme has funded in 2020:

‘THE SCIENCE OF ROLLERCOASTERS’

Who’s running the project?
The Hospital Education Service – which provides an education to those who are unable to attend school due to injuries, illnesses, or any other reason. It is a unique setting split across University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire; Whitmore Park Annexe; and home tuition to individuals. Its aim is to provide continuity in education when pupils miss school.

What’s it all about?
It’s an investigation into rollercoasters – from designing, testing and risk assessments, to research into energy, speed, acceleration, friction and gravity weight calculations. The aim is to teach students to use and think about science in a fun and interesting way; the project will end with students presenting their findings before they all go on a trip to a theme park to see the real-world science, first-hand.

The project will develop key areas within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), whilst also encouraging communication, key investigative skills and collaboration. These will all contribute to building self-esteem, with the intention of giving the pupils motivation to return to mainstream school and have faith in their own ability. It’s hoped that it will also encourage pupils to study science post-16.

Who will benefit?
Pupils at Whitmore Park Annexe – there are currently six students in the GCSE group and two in the pre-GCSE group.

What they said:
Debbie Glenn, Lead Science teacher, commented: “Whitmore Park Annexe, which the funding will directly benefit, is a small school that caters for pupils ages 11-17. These pupils are very vulnerable and have often had a negative experience of school and life.

“STEM is an area that I have been developing since joining the Hospital Education Service, with the aim to close the attainment gap of disadvantaged pupils. I try to link to what is of interest to the pupils to create engaging lessons, and this project is the ideal opportunity to demonstrate and apply the science being taught. Pupils can see the relevance of physics in everyday life, and that excites them!”

When’s it all happening?
There are three key stages to the project – exploration and investigation in the Autumn term; methodology, measurement and adapting rollercoasters linking to energy and forces in the Spring; the presentation of findings during the investigation, and finally a theme park visit in the Summer.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on 30th November 2020. To apply for the Millennium Point Charitable Trust Small Grants programme 2021, visit: www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/grants/apply

With Halloween just around the corner and things being a little different this year, a lot more of our children are spending time indoors. So, the team at Millennium Point have scoured the web to bring you 6 spooky science experiments you can do in your home with the kids to get them in the Halloween spirit and learn some new skills!

Bones of the body bingo cards
This is a great activity for 5-11-year olds to build their biology skills. It’s a bingo game designed to help children learn about the human skeleton. It contains two sets of cards one showing bones of the body and the other the names of the bones corresponding to the pictures. The cards can be printed off and laminated for multiple uses.

You will need to make a free account on STEM learning which we thoroughly recommend. They have an abundance of STEM resources, information and support for helping develop STEM skills for children of all ages – all completely free.

Make an eerie sounds device!
This activity is quick, simple and mostly uses materials you likely have around your house. Using a plastic cup and a few household bits your kids can craft a spooky device which makes eerie sounds like a creaking door or creaking steps! The cup acts as a soundboard, amplifying vibrations created by movement and producing eerie sounds. It’s a great little activity which can teach your kids about sound and vibrations while simulating a haunted house.

Make Monster Slime
If it’s gooey, slimy or looks and feels yucky you can be sure that the kids will love it. This experiment uses a few basic materials to create a slime that can be moulded and pulled apart. It explores chemical reactions and how different materials breakdown and combine with each other to make other materials, sometimes transcending from their original state of solid, liquid or gas. A note on this one, you will probably need to buy PVA glue and a few of the other bits but they’re pretty cheap and easy to grab online or at your nearest stationary shop.

Throw a Monster Tea Party
Continuing the monster theme, throwing a Monster Tea Party for the kids is a fun (but messy) way of teaching them about chemistry. Imagine the Volcano experiment but with more colours. Essentially, you’re making a chemical reaction with vinegar, baking soda and washing up liquid which causes a big bubbly reaction. What we like about this experiment is its simplicity. It combines a few kitchen ingredients, but the result will make for an exciting activity. We must warn you though, it is messy, so you want to make sure you do it somewhere that is easy to clean.

Make a Lava Lamp (or Witches potion) using an Alka-Seltzer tablet
Okay, so this one is for making a lava lamp, but the reaction makes us feel like we’re brewing a magic potion – either way it’s a great one for Halloween. Again, all you need is a few simple ingredients, most of which you will probably already have in your kitchen. The experiment says an Alka-Seltzer tablet but any tablet you dissolve in water should work. This experiment looks at chemical reactions. The tablet reacts with the water to create carbon dioxide, while the tablet and oil do not mix at all. Once the tablet goes through the oil and hits the coloured water the reaction forms colourful blobs reminiscent to a lava lamp. It lasts for about 30-45 seconds but can be repeated with more tablets.

Create creepy liquids
Another one from Science Sparks, this activity demonstrates the density of liquids while creating some gross concoctions that are fascinating to watch (just don’t let the kids drink it). Like a lot of the other activities on this list, it is using basic items and ingredients you most likely have in your house. The experiment teaches about floating and density, where layering different densities of liquid with debris causes different reactions.

There you have it! We hope you have fun and remember to keep safe and share your experiments with us on social media.

Please note we don’t take credit for any of these activities. Use the links provided to read the information carefully taking note of the safety instructions provided.

Organisations within the West Midlands Combined Authority can now apply for a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects. Not-for-profits, schools and colleges can apply for funding from £1,000 up to £20,000 from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to fund their STEM projects starting in September 2021. Projects can be activity focussed or for the purchasing of resources and materials which enables STEM-related education to children or communities.

Since 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has donated over £969,000 through its annual grants process to a diverse range of projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities and museums. This year Millennium Point awarded £560,000 to fund over 60 projects across the region. Projects funded include ‘STEM stars’ from Aston Villa Foundation, a programme which engages young people in coding using football; and ‘Sensory STEM’ from Longwill School for the Deaf, Northfield, which will make science more visual and accessible to their pupils through science-based equipment and an enhanced curriculum.

Head over to our grants page and start your application. Applications close at 5 pm on Monday 30th November 2020.

Young people aged 18-25 in the West Midlands can benefit from a six-month environmental leadership programme which is completely free. The programme is being offered by UpRising, an outstanding youth support organisation that offers a range of leadership, mentoring and employability programmes that help young people become leaders and better reflect and represent the communities they serve.

Uprising is an outstanding Youth Organisation offering a range of opportunities for young people to level up

What’s the programme?
The Environmental Leadership Programme is a free 6-month online green leadership programme for 18-25-year olds. It includes a series of virtual workshops and sessions designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks they need to become green leaders. Participants will also receive personal and professional development support during their time on the programme. All sessions will be held every Tuesday at 6-8 pm on Zoom.

Take part in expert-led, online workshops on topics like the green economy, creating a theory of change and media training
Learn how environmental change is made on a local, national and global level, directly from the people who are living and breathing it
Design and run an online environmental social action campaign
Be matched with a professional mentor

Who is eligible?
The programme is open to 18-25-year-olds who are living, working or studying in the West Midlands.

How to apply
Applications for the programme are now open and you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment. The application form takes 10 minutes to complete and can be completed here. Alternatively, you can find out more about UpRising and their range of exciting programmes on their website here.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn new STEM skills relating to the environment as well as shape themselves as future leaders within the West Midlands. For further news relating to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the West Midlands keep following our blogs at www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/news

We’re delighted to announce the latest recipients of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust grants initiative.

Building on the continued success of the programme, The Millennium Point Charitable Trust received 170 eligible applications from not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges from across the West Midlands region – a 55% increase from the last round of funding in 2019. This year we have granted more than £560,000 to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) projects and initiatives across the region. Projects funded include ‘STEM stars’ from Aston Villa Foundation, a programme which engages young people in coding using football; and ‘Sensory STEM’ from Longwill School for the Deaf, Northfield, which will make science more visual and accessible to their pupils through science-based equipment and an enhanced curriculum.

What’s the Millennium Point Trust’s Grants initiative?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s Grants initiative provides funding annually to not-for-profits, schools and colleges across the West Midlands. Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund their STEM-related project providing they meet the criteria and can demonstrate a measurable impact in STEM education. Since its launch in 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has donated over £969,000 to successful recipients funding a diverse range of projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities and museums.

Where does the money come from?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust owns the 46,450 sqm landmark Millennium Point building on Curzon street in the eastside of Birmingham City Centre (opposite the future Curzon Railway). Profits from our commercial activity as a landmark public building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue feedback into the charitable trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives. The grants scheme is our flagship initiative alongside the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship which funds at least one young person’s undergraduate degree each year at Birmingham City University.

To learn more about our events and conference venue or how booking with us can widen your company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), please get in touch.

When is the next round of funding available?
Information on the next round of applications will be made available soon, you can register your interest by emailing [email protected] or by keeping a watch on our dedicated grants & funding page. As the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, we are constantly reflecting and improving our projects to ensure they stay relevant, accessible to those who benefit from them and impactful to STEM in the region, for further information on the wider charitable operations, opportunities available or to get involved, please get in touch.

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

The next round of applications for School of Code’s free remote Bootcamp is closing on 3^rd August.

What is it?
Founded by Dr Chris Meah in 2015, the School of Code aims to teach people programming skills in a free, immersive short course designed to address the UK’s growing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills gap. Similar to Millennium Point’s own scholarship competition, the School of Code Bootcamp seeks to provide opportunities to address the 175,000 shortfalls in skilled STEM workers by eliminating barriers, such as money, to show people that it is never too late to start a career in STEM.

How does it work?
The Bootcamp runs for 16 weeks and starts on 21^st September 2020 and is open to anyone interested in a career in coding. This course will be conducted remotely online and you do not need to have any prior coding experience. The Bootcamp leaders work with you from coding novice to professional developer and links you to hiring businesses on completion of the course. To be eligible you need to meet a few simple criteria including being in a West Midlands Combined Authority postcode and able to attend remote lectures between 9 am – 5 pm weekdays for the duration of the 16 weeks. This is a perfect opportunity for people who have lost their jobs or are on furlough who are looking for a career-changing opportunity.

Remote Bootcamp — Image Credit: School of Code

The course itself includes a myriad of opportunities to grow and develop your tech skills, from hands-on workshops, mentoring from professional software experts, soft skills development, industry talks and networking as well as job placements at the end of the Bootcamp.

How can I apply?
The application is quick and easy. Head over to schoolofcode.co.uk/apply and fill out the quick and easy online form before 3^rd August 2020. If you are successful, then you will start your 16-week intensive course on 21^st September.

Why are we supporting this?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust contributes over £5million each year to support the growth of STEM in the West Midlands. Recent reports have identified the region as a hotbed for science and innovation, with a high population of SMEs in STEM industries such as digital, tech and engineering. We firmly believe that the future of the West Midlands lies in the growth of STEM industries. To secure this future, we must collaborate, celebrate and support organisations like ourselves and the School of Code, who are working to address the STEM skills gap, raise the profile of STEM skills and careers; and increase diversity and inclusion in STEM-related industries and education.

Find out more from the School of Code by visiting their website now. To learn more about the work of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, please visit our dedicated page.