S@S Accelerate
Mini Space Academy
22nd – 26th June 2015
S@S Accelerate is a one-week programme, held at the University of Strathclyde, for
pupils at the end of S4, S5 and S6. It aims to provide a targeted focus on the pupils’
chosen area of academic interest, giving them a head start on the road to their
chosen career.
There are ten areas that pupils can choose from in 2015, depending on their career
aspirations:
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Product Design
Psychology
Chemistry
Education
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Languages
Law
Mini Space Academy
Sport
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Business and Enterprise
Physics
Teams of academic experts have put together week-long ‘Giga Challenges’ in each of
these areas that will allow pupils to find out all about their area of interest and the
career opportunities open to them. Led by undergraduate and postgraduate student
mentors from the relevant fields, pupils will undertake a variety of group challenges,
as well as attending a careers and industry afternoon.
Mini Space Academy: Outline
The Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineeering
(EEE) at the University of Strathclyde will be hosting a
Mini Space Academy for up to fifty pupils.
If selected, you will be part of a team of five space cadets
whose challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to
complete a successful mission to Mars.
You will design, build and launch a rocket, complete a descent of your Mars lander,
and successfully negotiate the red planet’s terrain with your own uniquely designed
Mars rover.
On the successful completion of your mission you will be able to talk to a NASA
astronaut at the Johnson Space Centre via a live video link.
Elements of your Challenge will include:
 Planning the Mission
 This is Rocket Science
 5-4-3-2-1……We have lift off!
 Mars Lander Challenge
 Mars Rover Challenge
 Robolympics!
You will also find out about EEE @ Strathclyde and the great careeer opportunities in
engineeering. Our graduates have a starting salary between £23,000 and £27,000,
20-33% above the graduate average, and over a working lifetime a Chartered
Engineeer’s earnings outperform those of architects, solicitors and accountants.
Our Engineering careers and industry event, on the
Wednesday of the programme, will allow you to see
the future opportunities available to you and the
whole week will offer you a realistic taste of what it is
like to study at university.
We are sure that this challenge, by allowing you to
take part in practical activities that show the role that Engineering plays in the real
world, will make you very enthusiastic about studying it further at University.
The cost of S@S Accelerate is £100.
What last year’s Mini Space Academy participants said about
the programme:
“It was fun to take part in and was very helpful for helping me to decide which
course I would like to do.”
“It was a great experience that helped me learn more and meet new people. It was
fun and definitely worth it.”
“I thought it was a worthwhile experience as I got to know what University life
may be like and gained a better insight into engineering and met new people that I
enjoyed working with.”
“I was given lots of useful information about the university and the engineering
department. I enjoyed meeting new people.”
For further information, visit our website at www.strath.ac.uk/irl/accelerate or
contact us at innovativeroutestolearning@strath.ac.uk. You can also phone us on
0141 548 3799.