Useful links and resources
A list of STEM teaching, learning and careers resources and activities, from inside and outside UCL
Use CTRL/CMD+F or 'find on page' to help identify resources that you are interested in, e.g. 'revision', 'careers', 'mechanical engineering'.
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UCL / UCL Engineering resources
UCL resources
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| UCL Access and Widening Participation Office | Leads widening access and supporting attainment and progression in groups underrepresented at UCL. Runs activities, often in collaboration with departments and faculties (including UCL Engineering), such as summer schools, mentorship programmes, teacher CPD, and information sessions for parents, carers and guardians. |
| UCL East Schools Engagement | A part of the UCL Access and Widening Participation team dedicated to working with the four East London boroughs UCL East neighbours: Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. |
| Prospective students (UCL) | Directory of UCL’s undergraduate degree programmes, application and accommodation guidance, and advice for those who provide information and guidance to applicants. For prospective students, prospectuses are the primary point of reference for all undergraduate degree programmes at UCL. |
UCL Engineering resources
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| UCL’s Faculty of Engineering, which oversees all engineering departments at UCL. Like the Faculty, individual departments often run public engagement and outreach activities, occasionally working together on these. | |
| UCL Centre for Engineering Education | The Centre for Engineering Education, which sits within the Faculty of Engineering, is the home of researching engineering education at UCL. The academics at the Centre developed the UCL Integrated Engineering Programme, the Engineering Foundation Year, and publish research examining engineering education in the UK and internationally. |
| Prospective students (UCL Engineering) | An overview of our approach to undergraduate teaching, studentship opportunities, and a list of our undergraduate degree programmes. |
| UCL Integrated Engineering Programme - How we teach | An overview of UCL’s IEP, a teaching framework based on an exciting and dynamic problem-based learning approach that aims to teach our students to approach engineering problems as they are in the real world and understand their contexts. The IEP underpins most of UCL Engineering's undergraduate degree programmes, including the Engineering Foundation Year. |
| UCL Disruptive Thinkers | An ongoing series of short videos showing some of the disruptive thinking happening across UCL Engineering - from making cities more inclusive right through to designing pandemic-proof cities, how fibreoptics are innovating medical procedures, and much more. |
| UCL Spring Into STEM | A series of talks run by UCL Engineering, perfect for people aged 15-25 who are curious about meaningful applications of engineering. Each event features two TED-style talks by experts from different engineering disciplines, where they discuss how they use engineering to tackle to some of the most pressing issues the world faces. In 2024, this free event series will run monthly at UCL East from February-July. |
General resources
Work experience and mentoring
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| In2Science research placements | A UK-based social mobility charity that focus on getting underrepresented and disadvantaged young people into STEM through skills-building workshops, placements and much more. They run three schemes for people at different stages of their education. UCL often hosts placement and work experience students in partnership with In2Science. |
| SpringPod virtual work experience | SpringPod partner with universities and employers to create interactive, experiential learning programmes from work experience to university course taster experiences. Free to all students. |
| Brightside mentoring | Connects trained, volunteer mentors from all professions with young people in order to help them make informed decisions about their future. |
| I'm an Engineer | Gives students the ability to talk (in text form) to engineers in real-time and ask them questions. |
Classroom resources and support
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Tomorrow’s Engineers STEM resources | Curates information and guidance on a range of topics, from ensuring your activity is accessible to resources to support you in presenting an accurate and attractive idea of what engineering careers look like. Guidance on running virtual events and suggestions on activity evaluation. |
| Royal Academy of Engineering STEM resources | Engages school, college and university students with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by providing resources and training for teachers, including coordinating STEM teaching networks and supportive educational programmes across the UK. |
| Institute of Physics resources | The IoP develop and support high-quality physics teaching through provision of teaching networks, CPD events and classroom-ready, tried and tested resources. Over 2,000 resources are available free to download. |
| Institution of Mechanical Engineers STEM resources | The IMechE coordinates networks of teachers and STEM ambassadors, and offers mechanical engineering careers guidance suited to aspiring engineers of all ages and free, engaging STEM teaching and learning resources ready for use in the classroom. |
| STEM Learning | Delivers teacher CPD in STEM subjects, connects teachers with their local network of STEM Learning teachers, brings STEM role models into schools as part of the STEM Ambassador Programme. Provides resources and tailored, long-term support for groups of schools. You can filter content by stage of education (primary, secondary, etc.). They also have content available for employers. |
| National Careers Week | A week focused on providing people with support, information and guidance in identifying a career, backed up with free, digital and video resources for educators aligned with the Key Stages and Gatsby Benchmarks, to support planning and delivery. NCW can support you in developing your own materials and connecting with others to improve practice around CEIAG. Resources are also available for employers and young people and accessible year-round. |
Discovering engineering, projects and competitions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Meet The Future You | A quiz aimed at those aged 7-19+ that identifies a potential and exciting career in engineering based on their skills, passions and interests. Available as an app or on your browser. |
| This is Engineering | A campaign to bring engineering to life for young people and support them in the pursuit a career that is rewarding, varied, well-paid and in-demand. Discover opportunities and hear from young professional engineers from a huge range of specialties and focuses in video and text format, how they got to where they are and what made them decide to pursue a career in engineering. |
| Born To Engineer resources | Resources and activities suitable for use by learners, teachers, parents and guardians, including classroom toolkits linked to the curriculum, videos, exciting and digestible news stories and career advice such as CV tips. Learn more about the different forms of engineering, and what a career in each might look like. |
| L’Oreal Young Scientist | A science laboratory at the Royal Institution where young people aged 7–18 and their teachers can experiment and explore science and technology outside the classroom. |
| F1 in Schools | A large competition for primary-KS5 students (different competitions per age group) where contestants work in teams to design, manufacture and race miniature cars. |
| Primary Engineer Leaders Award | A competition open to pupils in primary and secondary schools. The competition begins with asking competitors: if you were an engineer, what problem would you most like to solve? Contestants’ written, illustrative, interview, research and persuasive skills all factor into convincing the judges of their proposed solution. |
| CREST Awards | CREST Awards are flexible, student-led projects aligned with the national curriculum, with different awards available for different age groups, from 5-16+. Generally, the higher the level of the award, the less teacher involvement there is in the project. |
Revision and self-study materials
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Khan Academy | A free, non-profit American interactive online learning platform, centred on maths but now expanded into other areas such as physics, economics, reading and computing. Suitable for learners aged 4-university age and above, with options to register as a parent or teacher. |
| Primrose Kitten resources | GCSE and A level revision materials including predicted papers sorted by exam board and subject, some paid. |
| NRICH | Run by the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Mathematics, this website supplies free, curriculum-linked resources for students aged 3-18. Support available for teachers, learners and parents. |
| Physics & Maths Tutor | Revision materials including past papers for GCSEs and A levels, university admissions guidance and a function that allows you to search for subject tutors. Suitable for learners and also hosts a section for teachers on its website. |
| Girls Into Coding | Provides practical experience for girls aged 10-14 in robotics, physical computing, and coding. Sessions are run by experts in their fields and based in London. |
A mixture of the above/other
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| NEON STEM resources & experiences | Gathers quality-assured and engaging experiences, activities, and resources for teaching STEM and engineering whether at primary or secondary level. These resources are linked to up-to-date careers information and highlight real-world applications of STEM. You can filter them by age, from 3 to 18+, and more e.g. length of time, experience/event type. |
| Institution of Engineering and Technology STEM resources | Supports STEM teachers by providing a range of resources linked to the UK curriculum. Content and events appropriate for children and young people aged 4-16+. |
| Institution of Civil Engineers STEM resources | Explore interactive career guidance, download free printable materials for display at your school or college, and find activities including competitions, online and face-to-face across the UK, to help you introduce your pupils to civil engineering. |
| Royal Institution resources | Science shows, workshops, educational resources, grants and more, brought directly to your school, or online. |
| James Dyson Foundation | Resources and activities you can bring to your classroom. The James Dyson Foundation works with teachers and learners across the world, and particularly closely with schools in Malmesbury. |
| The Brilliant Club school programmes | A university access charity that works with PhD researchers to support disadvantaged students’ access, attainment and progression at some of the most competitive universities. They recruit, train and place PhD researchers to deliver university-style learning in schools; run small-group English and Maths support sessions for Year 10s; bring together parents and universities to encourage a dialogue between them; and offer university preparation activities and coaching for Year 12-13 students. |
| Books for Curious Minds and Budding Engineers | A selection of books, split by age group, we think are great for encouraging an interest in STEM in children and young people. |
Museums and festivals
London
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Science Museum | South Kensington Entry to museum is free | A collection of scientific, technological and medical advancement from across the globe. The Science Museum also runs interactive activities and talks. |
| Design Museum | Kensington Entry to museum is free | Showcases products related to industrial, graphic, fashion, and architectural design, runs workshops and exhibitions, and KS2-5 activities mapped to the national curriculum for design and technology. |
| Young V&A | Bethnal Green Entry to museum is free | Museum of applied arts for children and young people, with exhibitions, talks, design and making sessions. |
| New Scientist Live | Docklands Annual, 2-3 days in October | An annual fair where an incredible range of scientists and speakers, from new researchers to household names, cover a variety of subjects of talks for all ages. There’s also floorspace covering exciting new inventions. In 2023’s schools’ day, attendees were able to talk to an astronaut live at the International Space Station. |
Institute of Making Festival of Stuff & Open Days Part of UCL | Bloomsbury Annual festival takes place in June-July (other events available) Free | The Festival of Stuff consists of a week of bookable masterclasses and a street festival of materials and making. Basket weaving, 3D print finishing, pewter casting, pyrotechnic displays, glass whistle making and much more are included, culminating in a dazzling Saturday Extravaganza of making stalls and materials demo, taking over the whole street outside the IOM. |
| Institute of Imagination | Multiple locations in London School programme is free | An education charity that works work families, teachers, youth and community leaders and academics. They run activities across STEAM (so, including the arts!) for children aged 5-11 years old, online and in person. |
| Imperial College Festival | South Kensington 2 days in June Free | An annual celebration science and arts face-to-face in South Kensington and online. Run by research and cultural institutions based in and around Exhibition Road, like the Natural History Museum, Imperial College London, The Royal College of Music and many more. |
Southwest England
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| We The Curious | Bristol | Interactive, engaging science centre and educational charity with hundreds of exhibitions and a 3D planetarium. |
| Cheltenham Science Festival | Cheltenham 6 days in June | Gathers some of the world’s greatest scientists to help make sense of the world around you with interactive workshops, shows and demonstrations. Has activities designed for schools. |
East England
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich Science Festival | Norwich 8 days in February | Science exhibitions, shows and hands-on activities, with the chance to meet and talk to scientists. For all ages and all levels of knowledge. |
Midlands
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Think Tank Birmingham Museum | Central Birmingham | A science museum with immersive exhibitions such as a child-size mini city, and a 4K planetarium. Explores Birmingham’s industrial past. |
| Big Bang Fair | Birmingham Annual 3 days in June Free | A fair with a huge range of activities, workshops and shows designed especially for young people aged 10-13. Group bookings welcome from state schools, and independent specialist and SEND schools. They also run a competition. |
Northwest England
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MOSI | Central Manchester Entry to museum is free | The Museum of Science and Industry showcases the historic development of science, engineering, technology and industry in Manchester, with interactive experiences and exhibitions. |
| EUREKA Science & Discovery Museum | Wallasey, Wirral | Science museum with exhibitions and interactive sessions for schools. Has an interactive exhibit for under 7s. |
| Imagine That! | Wavertree, Liverpool | An interactive experience for children aged 1-10, where guests can create and make items and enjoy staff-led workshops. Designed to build emotional, STEM, expressive art and design, technology and literacy skills. |
| Liverpool MakeFest | Central Liverpool 1 day in July Free | A hands-on, hybrid festival with technology and arts & crafts where makers showcase their creations. |
Wales
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| TechniQuest | Cardiff Bay | A science exploration and education centre, with lab workshops, exhibits and shows for all ages. Contains a ‘science capital’ with five districts - space, environment, chemistry, world issues and biomedical science, and a 360 planetarium. Runs sessions for home educators, teacher CPD and supports the Nuffield Research Placement programme for year 12s. |
Multiple locations
| Name | Location and entry notes | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Science | Multiple locations internationally Set dates apply | Runs a theatre show and a tour with exciting, dynamic demonstrations (e.g., fire tornadoes and nitrogen clouds!) across the UK and internationally, as they tell the stories of world-shaping scientists, engineers and inventors. Their website contains clips from their shows where you can get a preview of what they do. They also run school workshops. |
