Exploring STEM for Girls outreach event

MAPP’s new powder matching game proved to be a big hit at the Exploring STEM for Girls outreach event at the Octagon, Sheffield.

After two years of virtual events and zoom meetings, Exploring STEM for Girls was a fantastic return to in-person outreach, aimed at inspiring future scientists through a range of hands-on interactive activities.

Alongside the MAPP stand there were activities ranging from racing slime spiders and exploring the biology of zebrafish, to seeing electrons whizzing through the air in a cloud chamber.

Around 180 girls in years 9-11 from local schools attended the event, with the return of the 3D pens proving a popular draw into the MAPP stand. A fun and easy-to-understand activity, these both allowed visitors to express their creativity and learn how the 3D printer running on the stand worked.

New for this event was a powder matching game against the clock, with contestants having to identify the materials using only a magnet, a set of scales and a few hints. This provided a tangible link to the research carried out in MAPP, giving the pupils a chance to get hands-on with the powders familiar to the MAPP team (including iron, tungsten, aluminium, and nylon) and gave them a deeper understanding of the different manufacturing processes at the cutting edge of research.