3M supports British Science Week
Budding scientists and engineers took part in a range of activities at 3M’s Automotive Refinish Centre (ARC) as part of British Science Week.
The annual event, which this year runs from 8-17 March, is organised by the British Science Association (BSA) to celebrate the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
As a major partner, 3M has been hosting activities at its sites across the UK throughout the 10 days, with the aim of inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in these fields.
On 14 March, 135 Year 7 students from Queen Elizabeth Academy visited the science-based technology company’s site in Warwickshire. The youngsters rotated between two activities designed to fuel their passion for science and engineering.
The first involved applying filler to a car panel and then sanding it down using a hand block. Participants were given a choice of abrasives, challenging them to think about which would be most effective and why.
The second activity tasked the teams with making and flying as many paper aeroplanes as possible in a given time. Each student could only make one fold before passing the paper on to the next person. This taught them about manufacturing line processes, including the principle of ‘right first time’ and the importance of managing capacity constraints.
Throughout the day, the students were mentored by 3M experts, from both the ARC and the company’s adjacent manufacturing site. Leading the visit was 3M placement student Mohammed Sarwar, who is working with the company as part of his chemical engineering studies at the University of Leeds.
He said, ‘The whole day was a lot of fun and the students really seemed to enjoy themselves. We were greatly impressed by how well they engaged with the challenges. It is so important that we inspire the next generation to pursue subjects such as science and engineering, as these fields are the key to improving lives around the world.
‘This is a vision that 3M shares with the BSA, which is why we are so proud to be a major partner of British Science Week for a fourth year running.’
Richard Grainger, assistant principal at Queen Elizabeth Academy added, ‘This is now the third year that we’ve worked with 3M during British Science Week and every year the day that they put on gets better and better. We’re so pleased that they chose us to come down to the ARC. It has enabled our students to experience STEM in an amazing real-life setting. They all thoroughly enjoyed the day and were buzzing when they returned to school. Many of them talked about future careers in STEM.’
