Imperial opens lab to turn school children onto science

Imperial College has officially opened a new laboratory developed specifically to allow school pupils to carry out science experiments.

The £915,000 Reach Out Lab, the first of its kind in the UK, is the brainchild of Robert Winston in his role as Professor of Science and Society at Imperial. It was conceived to address limitations in state school science education due to pressures on time and space, lack of equipment and a shortage of secondary school teachers with a degree in science.

The Lab is a high tech, multidisciplinary space where children aged from seven to 18 can go to get practical experience of experiments and activities that many state schools would be unable to organise. It is working to establish long-term partnerships with schools that will see many pupils visiting it regularly.

Winston said, “What we know from research is that hands-on, practical work, doing experiments, making explosions, is what gets children excited about science. Unfortunately many state schools don't have adequate laboratories or resources to support this level of practical science. That will inevitably have a knock-on effect on the numbers who go on to study science at A Level and university, putting the UK at a disadvantage at a time when science and innovation is of enormous social and economic importance.”

Winston hopes other universities may be encouraged to follow the Reach Out Lab model. “I really would like to see a network of universities engaged in this kind of activity across Britain.”

The Reach Out Lab is funded by contributions from the Sir John Ritblat Family Foundation, Imperial alumni and other donors, and Imperial College London.

For a video on the Reach Out Lab see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHPphbSRG-U