The last Universe in the Classroom workshop for this academic year wrapped up last week in Cardiff. We’re well on target to reaching our goal to hand out 100 Universe-in-a-Box toolkits to 100 welsh primary schools by March 2015!

Between January and July 2014, Universe in the Classroom hosted seven full-day teacher training sessions, reaching 73 teachers from 60 selected Welsh schools. The workshops give teachers a chance to ask questions about the Universe-in-a-Box activities and background science, discuss best practise for employing the activities in their classroom and design a lesson plan, all of which supports them in putting the resources to good use back at their schools.

Another aspect of Universe in the Classroom is train Cardiff University STEM students (BSc, MSc and PhD) in communication and outreach so they can act as Stellar Role Models (STARS) and run school workshops to demonstrate to impressionable children that anyone an be a scientist regardless of gender, age, race or socio-economic background. 

Twenty Cardiff University students volunteered to take part in the scheme and received training this year, and eight school workshops have been hosted by STARS so far, reaching a total of 307 children. Roll on next year!

To keep up-to-date with Universe in the Classroom, join us on Facebook (Facebook.com/unawe.wa) or Twitter (@cf_unawe), or visit our Flickr page at tinyurl.com/unawe-wales