Flying high on Teesside

A group of 31 young high fliers will be reaching for the skies from Monday 23 July to Friday 3 August when the University of Teesside hosts its second spectacular Summer School for gifted and talented local pupils.

Organised in conjunction with Middlesbrough Council, the Flying High Summer School has aviation and navigation as its theme and hopes to enthuse the youngsters in Science, Technology and Design.

Among the highlights will be a trip to Whitby on a boat – the Northumbria - to study satellite navigation. The boat departs from the Teesside Nautical Centre, next to the Transporter Bridge (Middlesbrough side of the River Tees) on Tuesday 31 July at 10.30am.

Earlier in the fortnight, the children will work with academic and technical staff from the University to make miniature robot crocodiles – Robocrocs. (Best time for pic-interviews would be when the children have finished making the robots, say 2 to 3pm on Tuesday 31 July in Room 0.47, ground floor, Innovation & Virtual Reality Centre).

The children will also be learning how to make and fire mini rockets in the University’s Chemistry labs (top of Middlesbrough Tower, Room M802) and making hot air balloons, flags and kites. (A programme outline is included with this release). They will also be visiting Leeds-Bradford Airport to learn about in-flight catering and see flight simulation in the University’s Virtual Reality Centre.

Children taking part are aged between ten and 14 and represent all 12 secondary schools in Middlesbrough and some primary schools. The Summer School is sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills and supported by the University of Teesside, Excellence in Cities and the East Middlesbrough Education Action Zone.

For more information please contact either Angela Tebble, Middlesbrough’s Gifted and Talented co-ordinator on Middlesbrough 264048 or Sandra Joyce in the University’s School of Science and Technology on Middlesbrough 342460 or e-mail s.joyce@tees.ac.uk

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