School News

Morrison’s Academy, Perthshire’s leading independent day school, is hosting an interactive STEM day for young people from across the region on Saturday, 18 March 2023.

Run in partnership with the charity SmartSTEMs, around 200 children aged between 10-14 and their families are expected to turn out for the free event which will include a series of workshops, a STEM careers showcase, speakers and a pot of STEM prizes.

SmartSTEMs was created to inspire the next generation about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths through cost effective collaboration between industry and education. The Glasgow-based charity works with schools across the country to ensure every child has equal and fair access to STEM education and its many career opportunities.

The interactive workshops will be led by leading figures from the world of STEM and Morrison’s Academy teachers. Workshops include: Experience the Real World in Virtual Reality by Avantis Education, Harry Potter Forensics by the Morrison’s Academy Chemistry and Biology Departments. Robotics and Engineering by the Royal Navy, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Surgical Bone Graft to Help Civilian Landmine Survivors and Beyond by Professor Stuart Reid of Strathclyde University, Make Raisins Dance by the Morrison’s Academy Home Economics Department and Building New Futures by Balfour Beatty. 

A mix of local businesses and national organisations will also be on hand to showcase STEM within their industries. Organisations will include Police Scotland, SSEN Transmission,  Falcon Foodservice Equipment, Infinity Blu Dental, Seric Systems, FemEng, Merlin ERD, One Stop, Scot JCB, Arnold Clark, University of the Highlands and Islands, Keyline and many more.

Speakers are lined up to open and close this exciting event, including Kirsty Kakanskas from GSK, who will share the story of her journey into STEM and talk about her experiences of the sector as a young woman. A selection of STEM goodies will be awarded at our grand finale – the prize giving ceremony.

Pamela Boal, Digital Director at Morrison’s Academy, said: “Over the last few months we’ve worked hard with SmartSTEMs to create an event that will inform, engage and inspire young people. From delving into the world of virtual reality and exploring the forensics of a Harry Potter themed mystery to coding a dancing robot – our hands-on workshops are guaranteed to open the door to this explosive subject.” 

Thanks to the drop in style of the event, visitors can stay for an hour or for the whole day. The school’s onsite cafe, the Coffee Lab will be open during the event to provide food and drink. There will also be indoor areas allocated for those wishing to bring a packed lunch, with free refreshments provided.

Stuart Macdonald, Co-founder and CEO of SmartSTEMs, said: “SmartSTEMs is delighted to be partnering with Morrison’s Academy to deliver workshops to school pupils across the region. We’re looking forward to giving our young delegates a taste of the exciting opportunities available to them in industry. It is through events such as this one that we can encourage industry and education to collaborate further and in turn help children develop new talent and realise their full potential.”  

Andrew McGarva, Rector at Morrison’s Academy added: “With STEM being critically important to the UK’s future economic success, we fully recognise the value in providing robust STEM education to young people.

“STEM not only encourages critical thinking and innovation, it provides opportunities for teamwork, whether that be working together on a lab investigation or collaborating on an engineering challenge. We hope our SmartSTEMs event provokes excitement, curiosity and a sense of community.” 

The SmartSTEMs event at Morrison’s Academy takes place from 10am to 2.30pm at its campus on Ferntower Road in Crieff. 

To book your free tickets please visit the Morrison’s Academy Event page https://morrisonsacademy.org/events-at-ma