We have a variety of activities on offer for students between the ages of 13 – 18, to enable them to find out more about the exciting world of materials science and the careers and opportunities available. If you are interested in any of these activities, or would like further information, please contact our Science Communication Officer Laura Winters on laura.winters@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 306 5959.

 

Engineering Materials Summer School 2015

Come and find out more about the exciting world of materials science this summer at the University of Manchester!

Are you currently in Year 10 or 11 at School? Do you want to find out what life is like for a student at the University of Manchester? Would you like to take part in lectures, practical lab based activities and team challenges, and work with current engineering students and world-class scientists? Do you want to discover more about the fascinating field of materials science, and see how we design materials for aerospace and create biomedical implants for the human body? Then this residential Summer School could be for you!

There are two residential Summer Schools in 2015: Monday, 20 July to Thursday, 23 July and Monday, 27 July to Thursday, 30 July. For more information, you can download a poster or leaflet for the event, or contact our Outreach Officer for more information. You can also register for the summer school online. A limited number of bursaries are available for qualifying students.

Build a Beam challenge – Pupils in years 10 - 13

This workshop is aimed at pupils in years 10 and 11 and A-level students, and is run by PhD students and scientists from the School of Materials. During this workshop, students will work in small teams to design and build a beam suitable for aerospace applications. The workshop will end with each beam being tested to destruction, using University research equipment, and we will then calculate which team has designed the winning beam!

Students will be given an introduction to materials science, will learn about mechanical tests, and will gain an understanding of factors to consider when selecting materials for different applications.

The workshop is free of charge and can be run as a half-day or full day session. The workshop is available during term time, and will take place at the University of Manchester.

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to Materials Science – Pupils in years 10 – 13

We offer a range of talks and practical workshops which give students an introduction to materials science and also highlight some of the exciting research taking place at the University.

Our PhD students and scientists can visit schools/colleges and give talks covering career options in materials and courses available, and also the cutting-edge research that they are involved in.

Practical workshops take place at the University and explore what materials science is and also areas such as high-powered microscopy, and material testing and identification.

Workshops and talks are free of charge and available during term time.

 

 

 

 

 

The science of chocolate – Pupils in years 9 – 10

Explore the world of materials science through the science of chocolate!

In this practical workshop students will carry out a number of investigations including: discovering the fracture toughness of some of our favourite chocolate bars, finding out what chocolate looks like under the microscope and exploring how to make a good chocolate weld! Through these activities, students will learn about lots of different aspects of materials science, and will see how these techniques are used in industry and how they are enabling us to make new developments in research.

This workshop is free of charge and is a half-day session which can be run in school or at the University. The workshop is available during term time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Science and Engineering Week

National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW) is a ten day programme of science, engineering and technology events and activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages. Each year LATEST2 takes part in the University of Manchester organised Science Fair. This four day event is open to secondary and primary schools and includes a range of hands-on and practical activities from science departments across the University. To find out more, please visit

• Manchester Science and Engineering Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work experience placements

Interested in finding out more about a career in materials science and engineering? Then a work experience placement with the LATEST2 team could be for you.

Each year we are able to take a limited number of students for work experience placements. These placements give you an opportunity to find out more about a career in research, and to explore areas of science in more detail.
Depending on the availability of our staff/researchers, these placements can be arranged throughout the year.