Salters' Festival of Chemistry 2005 – University of Reading
11 April 2005
More than 60 students from 16 schools in the Reading area will enjoy a fun-filled day of chemistry at the Salters' Festival of Chemistry to be held at The University of Reading on Wednesday 20 April 2005. Local schools include Abbey School, Pangbourne College and St Bartholomew's School. Each school will be represented by a team of four 11-13 year olds. During the morning the teams will take part in a competitive, hands-on, practical activity, "Salty's Challenge" in which they will use their analytical chemistry skills. In the afternoon, they will compete in the "University Challenge", a practical activity in which they will be required to design a temperature control system using standard chemical reactants. This will be followed by a fun lecture entitled 'Colourful Chemistry – from the stars to smart greenhouses', by Dr Fred Davis in Organic Chemistry. A description of the origin of colour and our perception of it will be given, with the help of some colourful reactions. The day will end with a prizegiving at which the winning teams will be awarded cash prizes for their schools and all participants will be given individual fun prizes and participation certificates. The Salters' Festivals of Chemistry are an initiative of The Salters' Institute, whose aim is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young. The festival at The University of Reading is one of a series of 48 festivals which are taking place at Universities throughout the UK and Ireland between March and June 2005. The Institute is delighted that the Royal Society of Chemistry is working in partnership with them for the Festivals this year. The Festival at The University of Reading is sponsored by Lab Support UK. End For more information please contact: Dr Joanne Elliott University of Reading Tel No: 0118 378 6342 E-mail: j.m.elliott@reading.ac.uk Miss Lesley Grout Communications Manager The Salters' Institute Tel No: 020 7628 5962 ext 260 E-mail: publicity@salters.co.uk Website: http://www.festivalsofchemistry.co.uk Notes for Editors 1. The festivals are one-day events for schools held at universities throughout the UK and Ireland. The first series of festivals was held in 1991. Festivals were then held in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Since 2000, festivals have been held every year. In 2005, there will be a series of 48 festivals between March and June. The aim of the festivals is to make chemistry more exciting, more relevant and fun to students aged 11 to 13 years and to encourage schools to set up their own chemistry clubs. 2. Competing schools are represented by a team of four students from years 7 or 8 (or equivalent in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). Cash prizes for the winning schools totalling £350 are awarded at each Festival and all participants receive fun prizes and certificates. During the last four years over 7,000 students have experienced the fun of practical chemistry through the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry. 3. Since 1991,sponsorship in support of the festivals has been raised from over one hundred companies. Many of the festivals are also sponsored by local companies. 4. The Salters' Company is one of the Great Twelve City of London Livery Companies and was founded in 1394 for the medieval trade in salt. The company's activities today are centred on charitable and educational giving. The Salters' Institute, established in 1918, and now the flagship charity of the Salters' activities, aims to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young and to encourage careers in the teaching of chemistry and in the UK chemical and allied industries. 5. The Institute's three core activities are the Salters' Chemistry Club and Salters' Festivals of Chemistry for 11 to 14 year olds; Salters' Chemistry Camps for those aged 15, in partnership with other scientific institutions, and curriculum development, undertaken at The University of York, including Salters' GCSE Science and Twenty First Century Science and Salters' Advanced Chemistry, Salters' Horners Advanced Physics and Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology. For more information please contact: Miss Lesley Grout Communications Manager The Salters' Institute Tel No: 020 7628 5962 ext 260 E-mail: publicity@salters.co.uk Website: http://www.festivalsofchemistry.co.uk