UCL staff and students going back to school

The initiative by the Department for Education & Science aims to keep science teachers in London and the South East informed of the latest developments in the field and helps them develop new approaches to their careers.

UCL, Birkbeck, the Science Museum and the Institute of Education (IoE) will form the London consortium, which will be administered from the IoE. The centre will open in October 2004 under the directorship of Professor Michael Reiss (IoE).

The centre will run lecture and practical courses for science teachers and technicians in primary and secondary schools, developing links with particular laboratories and schools and building contacts between secondary and tertiary education throughout the region.

UCL's representative, Professor Steve Jones (Biology) said: "Each of the four partners has its own distinct contribution to make. UCL's biggest strength is its people - hundreds of scientists with a mass of expertise in a great variety of topics and a long history of enthusiastic and innovative science teaching."

UCL staff and students are welcome to get involved in the venture, and some modest financial support is available. Professor Jones added: "UCL will gain from this by raising its profile among the region's schools and my attracting more and better applicants, but most of all, by transmitting our enthusiasm for the world of science to a new generation of young scientists and their teachers."

To get involved with the venture, contact Professor Jones: x27416, or Angela Hall.

To find out more about the centres, use the link below.

Link: Science Learning Centres