• The University of Worcester forms part of a new network of 22 STEM Club Champions who will provide hundreds of face-to-face workshops to assist teachers develop high quality STEM clubs in schools

• Expansion supports STEM Learning’s aspiration for all young people in the UK to engage in a thriving STEM club

The University of Worcester has been chosen to become the STEM Club Champion for the West Midlands and support schools across Birmingham, Coventry, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, and Solihull.

A team of staff from within the STEM Ambassador Hub based at the University will form part of a 22-strong network responsible for helping teaching professionals inspire more pupils in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) subjects through out-of-timetable clubs.

The network has been set up by STEM Learning, the largest provider of STEM education and careers in the UK, following a grant from the Gatsby Foundation, and builds on the organisation’s popular STEM Club programme. As STEM Club Champion, the University of Worcester team will provide face-to-face support for teachers across the region through regular workshops to help them start or develop existing STEM subject clubs.

The staff delivering the STEM Club Champions contract will work with secondary schools, as well as Sixth Form and FE Colleges across the West Midlands to deliver a programme of STEM club CPD (Continuing Professional Development) workshops and networking events. This will enable teachers and club leaders to share ideas and best practice, and also meet local STEM Ambassadors who can support their clubs. Teachers will gain access to a range of resources to help maximise the impact of their clubs. Collectively, STEM Club Champions will target nearly 3,000 schools during the course of the programme.

Enrichment STEM clubs, which often run out-of-timetable, offer an enjoyable way to engage students with related subjects in an informal setting. The clubs are an important outlet to ignite new, or further students’, interest in STEM subjects through more imaginative and inventive teaching methods. They allow students space to experiment, ask questions and tackle challenges of interest to them unconfined by the structures of the curriculum.

The workshops will cover themes such as how to start a STEM club and making an existing club thrive. Another important focus is enhancing careers knowledge and club leaders will be signposted to the support available from STEM Learning’s network of over 30,000 STEM Ambassadors, who together represent more than 2,500 employers.

Four workshops are currently scheduled to take place in March, two in Birmingham and two in Worcester.

The University of Worcester was chosen due to its strong connections with the local school community and experience of supporting and engaging with teachers.

Susan Byatt, Project Lead West Midlands STEM ambassador hub at The University of Worcester said:

“We believe STEM clubs provide young people with the opportunity to learn about issues that matter to them, outside the formal curriculum. STEM clubs will challenge students to think in new ways about STEM related ideas. These clubs have the potential to act as a catalyst for change. We hope, as a result, more young people will be inspired to study STEM subjects, have a STEM career and make a difference to the lives of others as a result of their passion for STEM.

“We will be promoting the opportunity to all schools in our area in a range of ways including networking events, newsletters and emails. We are planning to deliver a number of workshops and will invite STEM ambassadors to these to offer insights into the ways in which they can enrich a STEM club programme.

“The initiative will also help us engage STEM ambassadors in crucial STEM skills shortage areas to promote career opportunities in exciting new fields and inspire more young people to consider these worthwhile careers for themselves.”

The significant expansion of the STEM Clubs programme comes as evidence from STEM Learning’s regular consultations with teachers identified widespread demand for local face-to-face support. Over the next four years, STEM Learning intends to expand the STEM Club Champion network to offer support to both primary and secondary schools, across the UK.

Dr Alex Brown, STEM Support Programme Manager at STEM Learning said:

“STEM clubs are individual to each school, and there is of course, no set formula. However, evidence from our teacher surveys and consultations, including those with no STEM Club experience, highlights a strong desire for face-to-face support at a local level to help them start, sustain and grow their clubs.

“Our STEM Club Champions will act as a hub in their patch and over the next four years deliver hundreds of workshops to drive growth and develop the STEM Club ‘ecosystem’ in their local area. Our ambition is for every young person in the UK to get the chance to engage with a thriving STEM club and we thank Gatsby Foundation for its continued support.”

Ginny Page, Programmes Director at Gatsby Foundation said:

“If we want to inspire the next generation of technicians, scientists and engineers we need to give young people experiences of STEM that are creative, practical and relevant to their interests. STEM Clubs are a fantastic opportunity for young people to gain these experiences, and it’s great that STEM Learning is helping teachers and technicians across the country establish thriving STEM Clubs in their schools”.

To find out more visit www.stem.org.uk/stem-clubs/workshops, or sign-up to a workshop email: STEMclubchampion@worc.ac.uk