Press Release

Millennium Seed Bank hosts top student science awards

Tuesday 27 June, 2006. Wakehurst Place, Ardingly. Photo, filming and interview opportunities from 11.00am. Report to ticket desk in visitor centre. (B2028, Jn 10 off M23).

Students form 10 secondary schools across the south-east, some 225+ students, will be displaying the best that young scientific brains can achieve at Kew’s country garden in West Sussex for a day-long festival of science on Tuesday 27 June.

As well as their own displays, the budding young scientists will have the chance for hands-on excitement in a range of activities including ‘make a robot’ lead by the University of Sussex, workshops from the Herstmonceaux Science Centre, and ‘crime catcher’ which involves DNA analysis and detection techniques used by forensic crime investigators.

Schools taking part in the regional BA Crest Awards final are:
Sevenoaks school – Sevenoaks, Kent
Danes Hill School -- Oxshott, Surrey
Rainham Mark Grammar – Medway, Kent
Rainham Girls School, Medway, Kent
Highsted Grammar -- Swale, Kent
Kent College Pembury, Kent
Kent College Canterbury, Kent
Midhurst Grammar -- Midhurst, West Sussex
Newstead Wood – Bromley, Kent
Maidstone Grammar – Maidstone, Kent
Notre Dame -- Lingfield, Surrey

Among the students’ work are solutions to everyday problems as well as the more exotic and adventurous science-based projects towards blue-skies research.

The awards are designed for students aged 11-19 to develop their scientific curiosity, problem-solving and communication skills. The finals have been arranged by Setpoint Sussex.

Through a mentoring system, the scheme facilitates links between schools and industry or higher education. It enables students of all abilities to explore real scientific, engineering and technological problems for themselves and promotes work- related learning.

BA CREST awards motivate students, build confidence and encourage them to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. They are available in two subject areas - Science or Technology - at three levels which will each be judged at Wakehurst by top scientists from industry ahead of a prize-giving ceremony.
BRONZE : 10 hours of project work for ages 11-14
SILVER 40 hours of project work for 4-16 year olds
GOLD 100 hours of project work for students aged 16+

The Gold projects are:
Two axis automatic solar panel positioner - a mechanical/electronic system to position a flat solar panel to face the sun throughout the day.
Decontamination of a heat transfer fluid - removing water from contaminated syltherm used in a drug producing plant at Pfizer Ltd.
Gum busting - the removal of chewing gum from pavements.
Comparison of dyes used in conserving historic textiles at Hampton Court.

The best projects from here will go on to the prestigious national BA Crest science fair to be staged at the Royal Society early next year.

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FURTHER DETAILS from SETPOINT Sussex (University of Brighton) 01273 644178
RBG Kew, Wakehurst Place education team 01444 894055

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