On Monday, forty aspiring scientists from Cranleigh—twenty Year 8 Prep pupils and twenty Year 9 students—travelled to the Emmanuel Centre in London for the “KS3 STEM in Action” seminar. This immersive, half-day event was designed to move beyond the textbook, and inspire the next generation of innovators.
The pupils listened to four lectures led by inspiring experts across the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. Students were given the background story of the periodic table and explored complicated advances in DNA and AI. Structures of shapes were demonstrated via a smoke gun and we also learnt about the concept of Biomimicry, which is when engineers study animals and develop products and inventions based on things that occur naturally in the real world. A particularly good example of this is Carbon fibre, which was discovered after examining the small, strong exoskeleton of the ironclad beetle.
The trip provided a fantastic enrichment opportunity and we returned to Cranleigh truly motivated, having seen firsthand how classroom studies can lead to world-changing careers.
By Tommy U. IV form
