Community outreach
The UK needs a fresh approach to STEM outreach if it's to tackle key skills shortages. At Sheffield, exciting new methods for engaging young people in local schools are achieving brilliant results. Doing this work now will pay dividends for our community, industry and economy long into the future.
In brief:
- Sheffield is leading the way in direct engagement with regional schools, sparking early passions in crucial areas like STEM study
- We're changing the narrative about which young people might go on to succeed in science and technology-related fields
- Your support helps more South Yorkshire children engage academically, creating the future's brightest stars right here in our own city
Inspiring the next generation of STEM talent
The world needs more scientists and engineers. As global challenges mount, their expertise is more critical than ever. Yet, many young people are discouraged from pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, writing them off at an early age as inaccessible or overly intimidating.
Sheffield is leading the way in inspiring the next generation of STEM talent. Through innovative outreach programs, we're breaking down stereotypes and showing young people that science and technology are accessible and exciting.
By supporting our efforts, you can help us create a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce, ensuring that our future solutions come from a wide range of perspectives.
Case study: Maker{futures}
Built around an innovative arts-based approach to fostering engagement with STEM subjects, our bold new Maker{futures} programme is proving highly effective at sparking inspiration in local children.
Maker{futures}: Igniting STEM Passion
Maker{futures}, is all about inspiring school children to embrace STEM subjects, using a creative art-based approach. Young people from diverse backgrounds are leaving sessions excited about science and engineering, and the potential to make a positive impact on the world.
Demand for Maker{futures} has skyrocketed, attracting attention far beyond South Yorkshire. Renowned institutions like the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Victoria and Albert Museum are supporting our efforts to expand the program nationally and internationally.
Our future world will need the kinds of skills and knowledge that Maker{futures} develops as we tackle issues relating to technological, environmental and societal changes, and this project will help to foster a new generation of youngsters who will be inspired to address these challenges.
Professor Craig Watkins
Vice-President and Head of the Faculty of Social Sciences
You can help spark a joy for learning
With your support, we can help more of our region’s children discover the joy of academic learning on their own terms - and create a future whose brightest stars will always consider Sheffield home, regardless of how far in life they'll go.
Your role in redefining potential
Across South Yorkshire, we're toppling outdated stereotypes about which ‘sorts’ of children might develop a genuine passion and aptitude for science and technology-led subjects, and our results are already turning heads much further afield.
Some of these young people will certainly be the bright minds steering our University’s cutting-edge research a decade from now.
With your support, we can ensure our future solutions will be sourced from as wide a range of backgrounds, passions and lived experiences as possible.