Young Scientist Centre

The Young Scientist Centre (YSC) is a partnership between the University and the Royal Institution (Ri). We are the first national branch of the YSC outside of London and a beacon for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in Lancashire.

Workshops

Our engaging and practical workshops aim to inspire the scientists and engineers of the future. 

Tailored for you

All workshops can be tailored according to the group’s age and ability. Unless otherwise stated in the description, all of our workshops last four hours including breaks, with a maximum capacity of 30 students.

How much are workshops?

Workshops are charged at £150 per session, except A Question of Taste (KS5) which is £200. For the 2021-22 academic year we can offer all state funded high schools and FE colleges one free workshop per key stage. For primary schools we are offering one free workshop if your school has above 30% pupil premium. 

How to book:

Email us at: ysc@uclan.ac.uk detailing the workshop you would like to book and an approximate date. A team member will be able to check availability and provide all of the relevant booking details and documentation. A member of our team will then get in touch with all of the relevant booking details and documentation.

Browse our broad range

For more information on our range of workshops browse the key stage groups and subject sections below:

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GCSE workshops

We offer a programme of free practical workshops for GCSE science. These workshops give students the chance to gain hands-on knowledge of the apparatus and skills required by their course.

During the project, we also conduct our own research to assess whether the learning activity has any detectable effect on students’ attainment to help improve our teaching.

Primary school workshops

Secondary school workshops

Primary school CPD twilight sessions

Twilight CPD sessions are run to share ideas for practical activities to help deliver the Science curriculum at Key Stage 2. Each session is linked to the programme of study for a specific year group.

To assess the impact of the sessions we will ask teachers to take part in an evaluation exercise. This involves reflecting on science teaching back in the classroom after the training has been completed.

For more information about future CPD events please email ysc@uclan.ac.uk

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Demo Competition

Each year, we hold a Demo Competition during British Science Week.

Students and researchers preform a five-minute demonstration of any aspect of STEM targeted at primary school children aged 10 years old. The aim is engage and enthuse young children about STEM, in an exciting and novel way to convey scientific principles. Participants perform during heats where senior UCLan staff choose a number of finalists. An audience of local primary school children choose the ultimate winner during a morning hosted in the YSC.

The winner is the holder of the Best UCLan and Ri Science demo trophy.