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COCKERMOUTH AFTER SCHOOL SCHEME (CASS) CELEBRATES £2.1K STEM CLUB GRANT FROM ENGINEERING INSTITUTIONS
Cockermouth After School Scheme (CASS) is celebrating after being awarded a £2.1k grant from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) to support the development of its Science Technology Engineering & Maths (STEM) Club. The Engineering Education Grant Scheme (EEGS) provides support for UK-based educational projects that increase engineering knowledge in young people.
Julie Poole, CASS Scheme Manager said: “With the support of our volunteer management committee we established a fledgling STEM club in 2018 with fantastic support from a group of STEM ambassadors from local engineering businesses. The club runs once a week during our after school sessions and introduces the children to practical aspects of science, technology, engineering and maths. It’s all about fun and getting to understand more about how the things work.”
Julie continued, “Receiving the EEGS grant this year has allowed us to invest in some incredible STEM resources that will allow us to sustain the club for many years. With the continued support of our local engineers we are using the new equipment to introduce the children to concepts such as wind power, electronic circuits and we recently started to use Lego ‘Simple and Powered Machines’ kits to allow them to construct a variety of projects. It’s great to see the children’s faces when their designs and hard work come to fruition and we have even more exciting projects planned as the STEM club develops. The STEM sessions are proving very popular and we are really grateful for the EEGS grant and the continued support of our local engineers.”
Peter Finegold, Head of Education and Skills at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: The CASS STEM club is a fantastic example of the kind of projects the EEGS scheme aims to promote. The UK is facing a critical engineering skills shortage and showing young people how creative and exciting engineering can be is a key way of inspiring the engineers of tomorrow.”
David Lakin, Head of Education at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said: “In order to tackle the engineering skills gap we need more graduates and apprentices to enter the profession, and this can only happen if more school-age children – girls as well as boys – are attracted to, and choose to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects. The IET is investing considerable resource in EEGS to support vital projects like this, which highlight the exciting, creative and rewarding world of engineering careers to young people.”
About Cockermouth After School Scheme (CASS)
CASS is a popular childcare scheme, based in the Scout Centre, off St Helen’s Street, in Cockermouth providing term-time wraparound care and a school holiday club. It is open 51 weeks of the year. The scheme is a ‘not-for-profit’, registered charity set-up in 1990 by a group of working parents to provide value for money and flexible childcare in the Cockermouth locality. Its extensive opening hours (7:30am to 6pm) are unique in the area and provide all-important flexibility for busy parents.
For more information on CASS and details on how to register your child(ren), please visit our website www.cockermouthafterschoolscheme.co.uk or call Julie on 01900 828199.
About the EEGS
The Engineering Education Grant Scheme (EEGS), which is run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, aims to engage young people aged 5-19 in learning about engineering and to develop the professional skills of those involved in supporting Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning and careers awareness. The EEGS also supports projects that improve wider engineering literacy. Organisations capable of developing and delivering UK-based educational activities are eligible to apply to the EEGS scheme.
There are two levels of funding available. Awards of up to £5000 are available for standard applications to the fund, and up-to-four awards of £15,000 are available each year.