Equinor Community Day sees 251 visitors from North-east engage in STEM
More than 250 people from communities across the North-east visited Aberdeen Science Centre over the weekend to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities and experiences.
Community groups and organisations including Aberdeen City Council Family Learning Groups, Fersands and Fountain Junior Club, Inchgarth Community Centre, Befriend a Child and Home-Start Aberdeen took part in Equinor’s Community Day on Saturday, November 6.
The groups were invited to explore the newly refurbished venue’s exhibits and gained hands on experience with BBC Micro:bit technology (pocket sized computers), driving Dashbot robots using an iPad and bringing building block creations to life using programming skills.
The centre also hosted digital STEM activities on its social channels and website, including using code breaking skills to save humanoid robot RoboThespian from alien abduction in a virtual ‘Energy Challenge’.
As part of the task, the aliens capture Robothespian until he can use his robotic skills to help them to return to their planet, with visitors helping RoboThespian find the correct sustainable energy mix to return home.
Roseanne Miller, community engagement coordinator at Aberdeen Science Centre, said: “We were thrilled to welcome so many families to the venue over the weekend and provide a taster session on the huge range of STEM innovations we have at the centre. STEM is used across a variety of practical and fun applications and these activities build excitement around coding and digitalisation.
“We’d like to thank our partner Equinor for facilitating the community day and giving families across the North-east the chance to experience educational and engaging exhibits and events which we hope will help to inspire a lifelong interest in science.”
Energy company Equinor is Aberdeen Science Centre’s Digital Future’s Partner, backing STEM education and the digital transformation. The agreement includes supporting the current Code Factory programme, which aims to engage young people in coding, programming and virtual reality and support building these critical skills early and the development of the venue’s chatty humanoid robot RoboThespian.
Arne Gürtner, senior vice president, UK and Ireland Offshore at Equinor, said: “It gives me great pride to hear from the team how many young people were inspired and engaged in STEM as a result of the community day at the Aberdeen Science Centre.
“Early interest in STEM and exposure to coding and digitalisation will be an essential skill for today’s young students to find the solutions of tomorrow and we are proud to help support the work of the Aberdeen Science Centre to continue this engagement.”
Aberdeen Science Centre actively engages with many different communities and people of all ages and backgrounds, to promote and inspire STEM education.
Working closely to develop strong community relationships, ASC offers customised STEM content to make sure programmes and workshops are inclusive and relevant to each group, while dispelling myths and misconceptions about science.
Aberdeen Science Centre’s exhibits are aimed at all ages and are themed into six zones: Energy; Space; Life Sciences; Make It, Test It; and a dedicated area for the under-6s, as well as the Shell Learning Zone, where science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are brought to life.
The centre recently received its first accolade since reopening, the Travellers’ Choice Award from the world’s largest travel platform, Tripadvisor. Previously known as the Certificate of Excellence, the Travellers’ Choice Award recognises places that earn consistently positive reviews by visitors, who rate services, quality and customer satisfaction.
The centre’s ‘Energy Challenge’ can be accessed online here: https://aberdeensciencecentre.org/events/codebreaker/
