Write down the first words that come into
your head when you hear the word
chemistry…
Perceptions of chemists
Old men
White fuzzy hair
White coats
Goggles
Boffin
Boring
Poorly paid
Socially inept
Go about with “sad” people
Lectures you rather than talks to
you
Create environmental problems
The mad scientist image…
Very intelligent young men & women
Involved in high tech industry
Well paid- Chemistry graduates in the
UK earn more than graduates from
most other disciplines.
Employed in a wide range of careers
Key players in the drug industry
Solving environmental problems
Tackle exciting modern day issues
Give exciting demonstration lectures
with ‘flashes & bangs’
Good communicators
Great at solving problems- highly
numerate
High level of practical skills
Young people and chemistry
 11 year olds – enthusiastic. Link chemistry to household chemicals,
medicine and bombs
 13 year olds- less enthusiastic. The theoretical side of science is
boring!
 15 year olds- big split of opinion most are significantly uninterested
in science
- subject is for “brainy” people and “swots”
- most students cant see relevance to future careers other than
doctor, pharmacist and veterinary science
 17 year olds- science A levels are seen as difficult options.
- students would only take chemistry as a prerequisite to their
chosen career e.g. medicine
- NOT because they want to study a degree in chemistry
Taken from Careers Material research 2000
The First Year of the Next
Generation
£1 Million Awarded




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£5 million pot, 42 bids
8 successful
RSC led bid- 20% of total
£941,446 (funded in full from HEFCE)
Duration 1st August 2004 to 31st July 2006- now extended
to Dec 2006
Target:
5% of students go on to HE in chemistry or chemistryrelated subjects
Objectives
To demonstrate the excitement of chemical sciences as
a subject and demonstrate good career opportunities to
students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from
schools & colleges that are underrepresented in higher
education.
Initial regions
 East Midlands (EM)
 London (L)
 North West (NW)
Achievements
 10,000+ students involved in activities
 ~70% more likely to consider chemistry or the chemical
sciences as a degree choice
 www.rsc.org/outreach
 Collaboration via operational group
Over-subscribed activities, e.g.
 Spectroscopy days
 Murder in the laboratory
 “Hands-On Hands Free”
 Flash bang demo lectures
See newsletters, website and RSC News for updates
Sharing good practice
First National Conference June 2005
“Thanks for a useful conference!”
“(the curriculum…) session was really good and we felt
the day had been a great success
Demonstration lectures and
Masterclasses
“Everything was fine thanks, the pupils did enjoy the day and I thought
that the organisation was very impressive.”
“The explosions were the most enjoyable part because it was interesting
and exciting and fun”
“All of the demonstrations were spectacular”
Analytical Chemistry for Schools
“A very useful and informative day”
“A real insight to university (life) and careers in chemistry
we may be aspiring to in the future
Spectroscopy Day
“I didn’t expect the machines to look like that”
“the demos were great”
Murder in the lab
 “I can see the chemistry in CSI
now”
 “really interesting”
 “The event was wicked- never
thought chemistry could be so
interesting”
 “I thought the activities were
really useful for my course. The
practical and the theory made
the learning process much
easier”
Hands free and Hands on
“It was a great insight into new technology, I found it
informative and really interesting.”
“It was great to meet real chemists”
Magical Chemistry - an event for
Primary School student
“My favourite experiment was when they froze a beaker to a
piece of wood.”
“It was excellent and because it is science it will be good for
us at school”
CRAC Chemistry Insight Plus
“…a really interesting break from normal lessons..”
“I liked that we had to talk to the other experts to get the bigger
picture”
The Future
 National Roll-out
 Sustainability (continuing sources of funding etc.)
 Broadening the industrial base
• ‘Traditional’ chemical companies
• Small biotech companies, SMEs etc.
Project Partners
The RSC leads a consortium of …
Universities:
Professional Body
Imperial College, London (L)
Royal Society of Chemistry
Kingston University (L)
Companies:
Liverpool John Moores University (NW)
AstraZeneca
Loughborough University (EM)
GlaxoSmithKline
Manchester Metropolitan University (NW)
Pfizer
Nottingham Trent University (EM)
The University of Greenwich (L)
Sector Skills Councils:
The University of Liverpool (NW)
Cogent
University College, London (L)
SEMTA
University of Leicester (EM)
University of Nottingham (EM)
University of Manchester (NW)
Contact details
 Kate Burrell- National Coordinator
burrellk@rsc.org
0207 440 3330