The Swansea-based programmes are amongst 34 innovative applicants to be named finalists in this year’s highly anticipated awards, which celebrate those making a difference to, and championing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) in Wales.
Following the success of the inaugural awards, the Wales STEM Awards is back to shine a spotlight on the organisations and individuals making a difference to the STEM agenda in Wales.
The awards will celebrate those leading the sector in Wales, those businesses creating an impact on the Welsh economy, those addressing the STEM diversity gap and skills shortage, and those inspiring the next generation. S4 and Technocamps were shortlisted in the STEM Educational Programme of the Year – Public Sector category.
All finalists across the 12 categories will now be considered by an industry-leading panel of judges, with the winners being announced at the awards ceremony at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel on 27th October 2022.
S4 delivers high-impact STEM outreach to young people in South Wales, working with underserved and underrepresented communities, specifically children from low-income families, in areas of long-term unemployment and low participation in HE. Over 30% of our pupils are eligible for free school meals (national average is 19.9%), and 48% live in an area with the lowest level of HE participation. We have delivered 40,748 hours of outreach to 26,105 participants, and boast a 96% return rate.
S4’s Professor Mary Gagen said:
“We're in our 10th year of delivering science outreach via the S4 project so it's really fantastic to have been shortlisted for the STEM Educational Programme of the Year – Public Sector category. S4 is very much a team project both within the University and with our partner schools and participants. The last few years have been an extraordinarily hard time for young people and schools, and we are really proud to have been able to keep delivering science outreach through the school closures of the pandemic. Now that we're all able to spend in person time together again, we're back delivering outreach workshops in schools, and in our dedicated science outreach space on Swansea's Singleton Campus. We're looking forward to another ten years of working with the future scientists of Wales!
Technocamps, founded in 2003, is a pan-Wales schools, community and industry outreach programme based at Swansea University but with a hub in every University across Wales. It provides hands-on workshops to primary and secondary schools, professional development training for teachers, and digital upskilling opportunities for adult learners. Its core remit for schools is to engage with specific groups of young people – particularly girls and those in isolated regions of the country – who disengage with STEM subjects. It then supports and encourages them to take up digital and STEM subjects at GCSE and A-level and beyond.
Professor Faron Moller, Director of Technocamps, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for this award. To be considered alongside some of the most amazing initiatives in the country is humbling, and we are delighted to have the recognition for the hard work that we do.”
Co-founder of the awards, Liz Brookes, said:
“We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2022 Wales STEM Awards. With the success of the inaugural awards really highlighting the amazing work of the most progressive organisations and individuals at the forefront of STEM innovation in Wales, we’re looking forward to recognising and celebrating those that have done some impressive stuff over the course of this year too!
“We’d like to congratulate all those shortlisted and look forward to seeing them all at the awards evening in October.”
Dr Louise Bright, head of judges and founder of Wales Women in STEM Network, said:
“The Wales STEM Awards do such an important job recognising and celebrating the achievements of organisations and individuals working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in Wales. This year, just like the first Wales STEM Awards, I’ve been privileged to read about the inspiring work happening around the country. I am looking forward to meeting the nominees and learning more about them and unlike our inaugural year, celebrating their success in person at the awards ceremony in October.”
The Wales STEM Awards are being jointly organised by Grapevine Event Management and communications agency jamjar and are sponsored by The Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technology (CEMET), the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, Development Bank of Wales, Business News Wales, Educators Wales, Linea Resourcing and Cardiff Metropolitan University.
