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The fun days, part of British Science Week and Healthcare Science Week in March, aimed to inspire the next generation of healthcare and environmental scientists.
Organised by the School of Life Sciences and Centre for Healthcare Science, the event gave youngsters from five local schools insights into public health, genomics, and ecology research.
The children had the chance to undertake experiments in specialist labs and explore the biodiversity of the university’s campus at Wivenhoe Park.
They also now have the chance to participate in Europe-wide research on air quality by putting all the skills they learnt at the fun days into action back in their own classrooms.
The fun days, supported by funding from NHS England, the Microbiology Society, and InChildHealth, were part of a week of events across Essex and south Suffolk showcasing scientific career opportunities and bringing healthcare scientists together to discuss opportunities within the sector.
Dr Rob Ferguson explains microbes to those attending the fun day (Image: Essex University)
More than 200 children took part in the fun days from Broomgrove Junior School, Great Clacton Church of England Junior School, Tendring Primary School, Unity Primary Academy, and Wix and Wrabness Primary School.
Dr Lizzie Archer, science fun day organiser from the School of Life Sciences, said: “Throughout the science fun days, hundreds of pupils discovered the wonder and importance of microbes to health, nature and even many food items – including chocolate.
“Through peering down the microscope, sequencing Lego DNA, growing bacteria and more, we hope to have inspired the pupils to pursue careers across healthcare, microbiology and environmental sciences.”
Outreach lead for the Centre for Healthcare Science, Olivia Solanke, said: “Students got a taste of what it is like to be a real scientist and what it might be like to go to university to study.
“We got them involved in lots of fun, interactive, science-themed activities from training in microbial air sampling so they can test their own classrooms to doing nature walks to learn about their local biodiversity.”
Dr Rob Ferguson, from the School of Life Sciences, added: “It was great to see hundreds of mini-scientists learn about the positive and negative impacts of microbes in the environment around them.
“After lab training, they were given kits so that they could join children across Europe in taking samples of the air in their classrooms that they will send back to us for analysis.”
InChildHealth receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation.
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