Wind farm funding helps STEM initiative for children

Youngsters in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney are being given the chance to develop skills that may be vital in their future careers.

This year, thousands of early years and primary school children across the north of Scotland have tried out “lend-a-lab” materials developed by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) to help inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and renewable energy experts.

Whether it’s building bridges with blocks, coding or even making a lemon-powered clock, all the activities have been designed to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

The lend-a-lab idea is part of a programme being delivered by a team of outreach coordinators working across the UHI partnership, committed to promoting STEM skills and careers and supporting teachers.

Their roles are being supported by funding of more than £1 million from offshore wind developers, led by the West of Orkney Windfarm alongside Buchan Offshore Wind, Ossian, Northland and Thistle Wind Partners.

In Caithness and Sutherland, the programme is being delivered by full-time coordinator Mara Gibb, who studied science at Heriot-Watt.

Alongside the lend-a-lab, Mara has engaged closely with the RAF youth and STEM team to develop UK-wide education materials on hydrogen as an alternative fuel source.

“It was great to work with the RAF to create a range of learning materials exploring hydrogen and alternative fuels, to help schoolchildren learn about how it is sourced, and the challenges and considerations that come with it,” Mara said.

“We’ve developed these learning units for secondary pupils, each taking about an hour to complete, and covering elements such as net-zero, jobs and careers, characteristics and behaviours and uses in transport, plus links to further education in related subjects.

“As a chemical engineer, it has been great to share my passion on the subject – and we’re now developing a set of hydrogen resources we can share with primary level children too. It can be a complex subject, so we have to make sure it is appropriate for the wee ones.

“I really love this role – it is so diverse and rewarding, and as a full-time coordinator I have been able to support other small projects such as with the space cluster and the IGNITE festival.”

Ria Kirkpatrick, a former teacher and full-time coordinator based in Orkney, said: “It’s great to see the impact this programme is having. The labs are a fantastic resource.”

UHI has delivered a STEM outreach programme to early years settings and primary schools for a number of years, originally focused across the Highland Council area.

The three-year funding package provided by the wind farm developers in 2023 allowed UHI to extend its outreach programme to schools in Orkney, the Western Isles, Shetland, Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perthshire, and more recently Aberdeenshire.

Most of the UHI STEM outreach team are part-time, with both Ria and Mara having their full-time roles supported through additional targeted support from the West of Orkney Windfarm.

Dawne Bloodworth, head of STEM development at UHI, said: “Our focus is inspiring the next generation, and generous industry donations have enabled us to ensure a regional approach to our STEM outreach activities.

“We are looking forward to the launch of several new lend-a-lab boxes in 2024/25.

“From January, marine-themed activities will be available, followed by content on hydrogen and renewables, and then space. We would be delighted to hear from industry partners who may want to support these developments or who wish to hear more about the overall programme and how they can get involved.”

Stuart McAuley, project director at West of Orkney Windfarm, said: “It is great to see so many young people getting excited about learning new subjects and skills and we are delighted to be supporting this programme.

“The north of Scotland will play a vital role in the delivery of offshore wind projects in the future, and we hope that many of the primary children being educated in STEM subjects today will find fulfilling renewable energy careers in Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney in the decades ahead.”

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