The British Science Association is a charity that is committed to inspiring young minds with science through programmes, such as the CREST Awards and the National Science + Engineering Competition.

Creativity, decision-making, problem solving and communication skills are key to gaining a CREST Award and competing in the Competition. These two enrichment activities aim to inspire and engage 11 – 19 year olds with science, as well as open doors to future careers in the field. 

Each year the 30,000 students who achieve a CREST Award are encouraged to enter the National Science + Engineering Competition which sees over 2,500 students compete to become the UK’s Young Scientist or Young Engineer of the Year. 

We are proud to tell you that Emily O’Regan and Fred Turner, this year’s Young Scientist and Young Engineer of the Year, both won the National Science + Engineering Competition with projects supported by CREST. Fred has also gone on to impress an international panel of judges when he represented the UK at the 25th European Union Contest for Young Scientists and was awarded first place in this Europe-wide competition. Your support will allow us to continue to inspire more young people, like Emily and Fred, and grow our schemes to reach more students all over the country.

Our aim is to ensure that every child in the UK has the opportunity to be inspired by science, particularly those in underprivileged areas. This autumn we launched the CREST Discovery Award, a one day award programme designed for schools new to CREST. Running practical projects can be daunting for teachers, especially those in disadvantaged schools as they often have less time, money and fewer resources. The Discovery Award makes CREST more accessible by providing easy to use resources for teachers to start their CREST journey, and help them inspire their students to become the UK’s future scientists and engineers.

CREST Awards
CREST Awards recognise success, build skills and demonstrate personal achievement in science, technology, engineering and maths project work for 11 - 19 year olds. CREST links the interests of students to curriculum-based learning and is UCAS endorsed for inclusion in students’ personal statements. The CREST Awards are well regarded, high-quality and a tangible recognition of success.

·   32,850 young people achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold CREST Award during the 2012/13 academic year.

·   1,424 schools took part in CREST Awards across the UK during the 2012/13 academic year.

·   120 new disadvantaged schools registered with CREST between April 2012 and September 2013.

Like all CREST Awards, creativity, decision making, problem solving and communication are key to gaining a Discovery Award, as is putting projects in a real-world context.

Every £10 we receive could enable at least three young people to take part in a one-day science project and gain a CREST Discovery Award.

Target schools
Next year, we will aim to bring CREST Awards to more schools in disadvantaged areas of the UK. Your donation will help us to provide extra support to schools and students that need it most.

We piloted the Discovery Award in several schools this year. Two teachers commented:

“Our students loved the challenge that the CREST Discovery Award brought and the chance to work independently and as a team. We are now getting requests and ideas from other departments as to how they can get involved and help to expand the project.”

 

“CREST provides a valuable insight into what science is really like, challenging students to think, work and communicate like a real scientist. It’s not surprising to discover that CREST has encouraged many of our students to pursue careers in science and given them a love of science and of learning.”

 

National Science + Engineering Competition

This year’s National Science + Engineering Competition entrants showcased their projects at 12 regional heats, and the best 200 projects presented to over 65,000 people, including celebrity judges Professor Brian Cox, Rachel Riley and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock at The Big Bang Fair.

 

UK Young Scientist of the Year 2013 Emily O’Regan writes:

“This year has been incredible. I presented my project on flamingo breeding habits at the National Science + Engineering Competition, winning the title of Young Scientist of the Year 2013, and spoke at the British Science Festival about the experience. I started my journey to the Competition with a CREST Award, and the British Science Association has provided me with some amazing opportunities to gain practical skills, present my work and meet like-minded people and famous scientists!

It has inspired me to be an ambassador for young people in STEM, particularly women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

 

·   2,500 young people entered the Competition in 2012/13.

·   55% of CREST Awards were achieved by girls in the 2012/13 academic year.

·   74% of the national finalists in 2012/13 had a CREST Award.

We need your support to inspire the UK’s future scientists and engineers. With your help we can continue to bring exciting projects to children in disadvantaged areas across the country through our innovative education programmes. Our aim is to inspire the next generation of scientists and with your help we can do it.