In2STEM Summer School: Destination STEM

Joining from schools across Greater Manchester and Liverpool through the In2STEM and Destination STEM programmes, 27 students joined Dr Sam Borland and Dr Matthew Jones for a 1-week research placement with the Biomedicine team and Dr Marina Leontiadou from the Physics department.

Students were also given the opportunity to learn more about Higher Education. Alongside showcasing the different career paths available in STEM, the skills gained from their placement including teamwork, professionalism, communication, and problem-solving, were also useful tools for life beyond university.

With the aim of providing Year 12 students with the skills and experience needed to achieve their potential and progress to careers in STEM (with In2STEM particularly focussing on students from low socioeconomic backgrounds), the placement allowed students to experience different research areas with staff from the Biomedical Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), including microbiology (Dr Nicky Morgan, Sofia Christou, Andrew Martin, Adam Sharples), malaria (Dr Holly Matthew, Dr Laura Brettell), fetal and maternal health (Dr Gareth Nye), cardiovascular (Bethan Samphire-Noden) and phages (Dr Chloe James, Andrew Martin).  The students had the opportunity to shadow researchers, visit our facilities, and get involved with lots of activities with the Physics and Engineering co-hosts (Dr Stuart Astin, Dr Marta Camps Santasmasas, George Dodgson, Matthew Houghton-Ingham, Katherine Swales, Hammad Ali, Bill George, Reece O'Beirne, Elle Kalavsky, Prof Ian Morrison, Paula Courchene and Carl Gleeson).

Feedback from the students was extremely positive, with the majority of students reporting that their knowledge of STEM programmes had increased following their placement (87%), and they knew more about the benefits of University/HE (94%). They also stated that they felt motivated to study and do well at school/college following their placement (94%).

During the placement, the Biomedicine team were also visited by Helen Liddle who is the Enrichment Programme Manager for STEM Learning UK. Her feedback on the placement was extremely encouraging and she is keen to use our placement as a model for other universities taking part in the Destination STEM programme. 

“This placement is a gold standard for me, an incredible amount of thought, energy, and passion went into delivering a truly inspiring placement experience for a group of curious and motivated Year 12 students. What made this placement stand out was the holistic approach: not only building scientific knowledge, but also supporting students with the wider skills needed to transition successfully to university. From understanding what university life is really like, to preparing effectively and collaborating with peers, it was about much more than just the subject.”

Some comments left by the students: 

“Following this placement I feel more confident in talking to other people I don’t know, and I have definitely learnt new skills”

“I made lots of new friends and gained loads of skills to help with my UCAS personal statement”

“I learnt lots about the lab and met really nice academics and staff”

The hosts (Marina, Sam, Matthew) would like to thank In2STEM and Destination STEM programmes for the collaboration and all co-hosts for their contributions, in particularly the student volunteers, Maker Space staff, and HANS directorate for supporting the summer school.