This week the KATS Team took children from Mile Castle Primary and Humsaugh Primary on a school trip to the Life Science Centre in Newcastle’s city centre!
The children got to put everything that they had learnt about renewable and non renewable energy into practice by not only exploring all the exhibits, but participating in the ‘Electrifying Newcastle’ workshop. In the workshop the children learnt how to construct an electric circuit, and how we can power lightbulbs using solar powers and wind turbines. They even got the chance to go to a planetarium show where they got to see how satellites can monitor climate change from space. Some also got to perfect their presenter skills by becoming weather forecasters.
What an amazing day! Thank you to North East Combined Authority and the Life Science Centre for allowing the students to go on this amazing school trip.
We have been presented with an AMAZING opportunity – to take KATS: North East Combined Authority students from Kingston Park to the BBC Newcastle Studios!
The children got to go on a guided tour around the studios to see how the news is filmed and broadcasted. They also got to sit in the presenters chair and present their climate change news bulletins that they prepared in the previous KATS sessions. Our favourite broadcast was ‘BREAKING NEWS…Climate change is real and happening , so we need to take action NOW’. We also visited the radio studio where the children got a shout out from the presenter!
What a truly amazing experience – one that they will never forget. One day it could be them presenting climate change news on our screens! Thank you to all the staff at BBC Newcastle Studios for opening your doors to us.
The second round of our KATS: North East Combined Authority project involved working with children from Kingston Park Primary, Mile Castle Primary and Humsaugh Primary to explore the impact of renewable and non-renewable energy on our environment.
In the first sessions the KATS team encouraged the children to think about how electricity is created and the different types of electricity they can find in their home. We explored how non-renewable energy can be harmful to our environment, and the benefits of renewable energies! We used VR kits to explore how non-renewable energy could impact life on land and life below water. In the second sessions the children created their own renewable energy superhero and acted our their stories on camera!
The students from Kingston Park learnt all about the different strategies that Newcastle City Council are taking to reduce pollution in the city centre. They became news anchors, directors, and even became Newcastle Mayor, by reporting on the KATS Global Network.
In the third session we welcomed the Street Scientists from Newcastle University who came into talk about all things STEM. The children participated in lots of experiments with their favourite being the electrical conduction experiment! By participating in these fun activities, the children got to learn the importance of STEM and how they can become STEM leads in the future to tackle climate change!
That’s not all…there are some exciting trips just around the corner!
On the 21st September 2023, the KATS Team were invited to speak at Newcastle University’s India Networking and Partnerships event at the Great North Museum: Hancock.
The event invited academics from Newcastle University to present ‘lightning presentations’ about their research in India. Elle spoke about the recent citizen science projects that have been conducted in Delhi with children from Nizamuddin Basti, Jagdamba Camp and Priyanka.
In August 2023, the KATS team visited Delhi once again to deliver another version of the project. This time around the project worked with over 100 children and focussed on themes relating to water security, conservation and sanitation!
Priyanka and Jagdamba Camp
Elle worked with children from Priyanka Camp and Jagdamba Camp to become ‘Hygiene Managers’. In the first session we explored the importance of water and hand washing, and told the story of Mr. E-Coli – a nasty bacteria that can be spread through physical touch, coughing and sneezing, and contaminated water! We then participated in the ‘Glitter Experiment’ where the children got to shake as many glitter hands as possible… to see how quickly germs spread from person to person.
In the second session, the children became scientists and used green paint to see the difference between washing their hands for 5 and 20 seconds. They then created colourful murals with slogans that spread the word about the importance of hand washing in their community.
Nizamuddin Basti
The KATS team also worked with children from Nizamuddin Basti to become ‘Water Storytellers’. In the session we discussed the cultural value of water and used VR to explore all the different kinds of biodiversity that live underwater. The children then went on a ‘field trip’ to their local Baoli, where a guide talked to them about the Baoli’s history, cultural significance and issues around flooding and pollution.
In the second session the children learnt about the importance of telling stories – especially when it comes to protecting local water sources. The children started to create their own superhero water stories around protecting the Nizamuddin Baoli. Their powers included the ability to zap litter from the water and to stop flooding.
What’s even more exciting is that the children are working with a local theatre company to develop their stories and will perform them in front of over 100 members from the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub in October! Watch this space!
Wow! What an amazing final event at The Boiler House on Newcastle University’s main campus for the KATS Finale!
The latest KATS project, funded by North East Combined Authority, focussed on working with young people, from 3 local schools, to learn about the issue of plastic pollution on marine biodiversity. Through STEM-focussed activities, they became citizen scientists and collected data about microplastics found on their local beaches. They also got the chance to visit Tynemouth Aquarium!
The final Boiler House event was jam packed with reflective activities, like the ‘School Challenge Quiz’, a scavenger hunt around campus and a creative writing activity led by Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books. The Elected Metro Mayor – Jamie Driscoll, even came in to answer students’ climate change questions!
“The KATS project has been amazing…The children explored the challenges and possible solutions to the climate crisis in a variety of hands-on ways which kept them engaged and stimulated” (Gosforth East Middle)
We want to express a huge thank you to the Fiona Foundation for choosing to support the KATS project and enable us to extent our outreach to a new school in the area – Benton Park Primary.
The KATS team delivered the programme to students at Benton Park Primary throughout June 2023. The project focussed on exploring all things marine biodiversity and the threats that climate change and plastic pollution poses to life below water. One of the teachers from the school involved in the project said:
“It really educated our young people to think about what action they can take to fight climate change and realise the current situation the Earth is in.
“The VR headsets and the day at Tynemouth Aquarium and the Boiler House were real highlights for our children. It gave some of them opportunities they would never otherwise have and they are still talking about it now!”
On the 26th June 2023, Martin Karran, from the Fiona Foundation, visited the campus to meet children from Benton Park and award prizes to them for completing the KATS project. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Fiona Foundation, its supporters and Fiona’s family for their ongoing generosity and support of the KATS project at Newcastle University.
You can find out more about the Fiona Foundation by visiting their website.
Following on from our first few sessions with Benton Park Primary, St Teresa’s Primary and Gosforth East Middle…the children got the opportunity to visit Tynemouth Aquarium for a day full of exploring life below water.
The children got to spot all of the underwater biodiversity they had been learning about and also discovered brand new facts….did you know the Stone Fish is one of the most venomous fish that live in our oceans?! They also got the chance to attend an Eco Workshop where they learnt more about how long it takes for plastics to decompose, and watched the Seal Show outside.
That’s not all! We then walked over to Crusoe’s for some well deserved chips! What a fun day, and a day that will surely not be forgotten. These will be memories that the children will keep for a long time.
June 2023 saw the start of our brand new KATS project! North East Combined Authority are enabling the KATS project to be delivered into 12 local schools…that means an expected reach of over 400 students!
Our first batch of schools are Benton Park Primary, St Teresa’s Primary, and Gosforth East Middle! This time around the project is focussed on SDG 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Life Below Water) and explores issues of plastic pollution on marine life.
In our first session we used the VR kits to explore life below water, looking at lots of different animals such as Penguins, Sea Turtles and Sharks (for those who were brave enough!). We also played lots of fun games and quizzes, and introduced children to citizen science using a fun experiment involving smarties.
The children got to put what they had learnt about citizen science into practice by participating in the ‘KATS Microplastic Survey’ by sifting through sand collected from Tynemouth. They found lots of small plastics such as stickers, plastic cups, Styrofoam and food wrappers. We also explored the lifecycle of plastics by ranking how long it takes different types of plastic to break down in the ocean. Did you know it takes a toothbrush over 500 years to decompose?! Finally, the children got creative by drawing their own ‘Ocean Innovations’ that will clean the oceans from plastic in the future.
Stay tuned as we will be going on an exciting trip very very soon….
The Pride of Newcastle University Awards recognises students’ achievements and contribution to university life and the wider community through extra-curricular activities. They especially celebrate students who have shone through in the ‘Celebrating Success Awards‘ in which Elle won ‘Newcastle University Worker of the Year’ back in May 2023. roud of her achievements!
Take a look at Elle’s nomination below:
“Elle has demonstrated a clear passion for inspiring young people to become Climate Change makers as part of her role in KATS (Kids Action Thru Science) here at Newcastle University. She has been an integral part of the project from the outset and has helped it to develop each year through her dedication and hard work. She is driven, enthusiastic and has made a huge impact on the project, both locally and globally, which will leave a lasting impact beyond her own involvement. ”
