Over the last few years we've expanded our induction programme to include informal "getting to know you" activities, both around the College and further afield. In 2008, we helped to rejuvenate the wild life areas around the Shiney Row campus and at other sites in Sunderland and in 2009, the Biomedical Science and FPS students spent an afternoon at Moor House, which included those with a head for heights scaling the climbing wall, whilst the Sports Science students went mountain biking in Hamsterley Forest.
We're currently working with Michelle Ball at Beamish Museum on a full day's activities for our Level Zero Biomedical & Psychology students, which will see them exploring the history of biomedical sciences at this award winning North East Heritage Museum. This project is supported by the Embedding Museums in the Learning Community project, run by the North East Regional Museums Hub (NERMH). This will take place on Monday 20th September, so should kick Induction Week off with a bang!
We're also working with Lorraine Coghill and NetPark on a day's activities for our Foundation in Pharmaceutical Sciences students on Wednesday 22nd September. Our Sports Science students will probably be mountain biking again, but will also be paying a visit to Life in Newcastle on Monday 27th September for their drugs in sport workshop.
All of our work with the museums has been made possible by Eileen Atkins, head of the STEAM Network. STEAM (Science, Technology and Education Around Museums) was set up in late 2008 and is co-ordinated by the NERMH as part of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council's Renaissance in the Regions programme. It has also recently become part of the Science in Your World programme, also funded by the MLA. It currently has 56 members from across the North East's museums & education sectors and has links with other regional groups (SMELT in the West Midlands, SLIME in the South East & SMILE in the North West).
