Crawley-based international geoscience company CGG has helped to secure the future of the South-East’s biggest science and technology event for young people for another year.
CGG, the world’s leading cutting-edge geoscience company, has presented the organisers of Crawley STEMfest 2016 and the Big Bang Fair South East with an early Christmas present by agreeing to be the headline sponsor of the events for the fifth year in succession.
In 2012, CGG was one of the original supporters of the event, which is organised by STEM Sussex, the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) outreach department at the University of Brighton, in collaboration with Crawley Borough Council and Central Sussex College.
In July of this year over 7,500 students and their teachers attended the Big Bang Fair South East, at the South of England Showground, where CGG’s geoscientists used a range of visual aids – including jelly babies and chocolate bars – to explain some of the mysteries of geology and physics.
They also had an area dedicated to the use of IT and computers, and ran competitions where successful schools could win high-tech equipment to help students with their studies.
Dawn Martin, head teacher at Gossops Green Community Primary School, Crawley, whose school won £500 worth of STEM resources, said students were now using a giant polydron and a magnetic polydron to learn about shapes and develop problem-solving skills.
“These are really expensive pieces of equipment which we would not normally be able to buy from our own budget,” she added. “We are really grateful to CGG for enabling us to buy them. Our children really enjoy using the equipment and, hopefully, we are helping to inspire the budding scientists of the future.”
Natalie Goodchild of CGG, whose Europe, Africa and Middle East hub has been in Crawley since 1996, said: “CGG is pleased to be able to continue its sponsorship and involvement with the events in 2016. Over the years it has been amazing to see how they have both grown and the influence it has had on the local students. Each year CGG has run a competition and this year’s was ‘Where in the World’ in which students had to identify six cities from around the world from high definition satellite images produced by CGG’s NPA Satellite Mapping group. There were over 600 entries to the competition and local Crawley Gossips Green school were their age group winners. It is great to see them putting the money to good use in engaging their students in fun STEM activities … it shows you can never start too young and have fun learning STEM!”
Jo McKinney-Green, STEM Sussex Project Manager, said: “Without CGG’s support – and, indeed, the support of dozens of other businesses and organisations – these events could not have survived and developed as they have. Since the first event in 2012, we have gone from involving around 2,000 students from fewer than 60 schools and colleges to 7,500 young people from over 140 schools and colleges this year.”
Crawley STEMfest 2016 will take place in schools and colleges, and in the community, throughout May and June, and will culminate with the Big Bang Fair South East, at the South of England Showground, on 29th June. Part of the nationwide Big Bang Near Me programme, it is the biggest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK.