Royal Air Force Brize Norton is proud to announce the successful conclusion of a week-long ‘Summer of STEM’ initiative, designed to inspire and engage young minds in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The event was supported by the Station’s dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassadors, and featured a series of dynamic and interactive activities that brought together students from local schools.
Over the course of the week, students aged 8-12 were given the unique opportunity to explore various aspects of STEM through a range of hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and challenges. The activities were carefully curated to showcase how STEM disciplines are integral to the Royal Air Force and how they play a critical role in aviation, engineering, cyber, and logistics.
Students participated in interactive sessions led by RAF personnel, where they learned about the principles of aerodynamics. The young participants had the chance to build and test their own model rockets, gaining practical insights into physics of pressure and lift. Group Captain Louise Henton, Station Commander, joined the group in making her own rocket and competing for the most powerful rocket. These hands-on experiences were designed to make STEM subjects more relatable and engaging.
The STEM ambassadors introduced students to basic coding concepts and programmer principles. Interactive sessions included understanding computer programming languages, developed through a series of numerical or alphabetic codes, instruct machines to complete specific actions. Members of the National Museum of Computing provided fantastic sessions on virtual reality and other cyber activities, which had the students enthralled in the world of computing.
Personnel arranged for the students to see an air mobility force aircraft up close, and they were given a tour explaining the role of our aircraft. A trip to the National Space Centre was organised to give the children a glimpse into space exploration which included an excellent show in their planetarium.
Corporal Graham Darkins, STEM Ambassador at RAF Brize Norton said:
"This is our third STEM Camp at Brize Norton, the kids walk away having learned new things and, over all, have an excellent time. The kids who attend get a chance to conduct experiments and visit areas on Station that normally they would not get to see or experience."
Corporal Graham Darkins
STEM Ambassador
RAF Brize Norton
The event was not only an educational experience but also an opportunity to foster teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking among the students. With the enthusiastic support of the Station’s STEM Ambassadors, RAF Brize Norton hopes to continue its efforts in inspiring future leaders and innovators in STEM.
