LEGO® Education to Give STEM Resources to 25 Schools

LONDON, October 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

LEGO^® Education has today announced that they're giving 25 UK schools the chance to receive LEGO^®MINDSTORMS^® Education EV3 resources free as part of a pilot for the Elite Engineering Programme (EEP). EEP is a private sector initiative; the partners also include the Helsington Foundation and Professor Anthony J Purnell, a visiting professor of engineering at Cambridge and a British entrepreneur. It aims to encourage young people to consider careers in engineering and is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering.  The LEGO resources are worth £3,000 and schools simply have to apply to be part of the pilot.  Applications will be considered on merit.  

The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 solution was launched last year to widespread acclaim.  LEGO Education is offering the resources to schools for Key Stage 3 students (aged 12+ years). The students will use them to build sophisticated programmable robots and then compete against others at regional and national contests.  The package includes free training for teachers, which will explain how to use the materials to deliver the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) National Curriculum. 

Gareth Boldsworth, Director at LEGO Education Europe, explained the motive for the programme; "We know from the feedback we've already had from teachers that the MINDSTORMS Education EV3 has a huge impact on students.  It engages them in fun, but realistic, engineering challenges.  We're keen to make the resource available to young people who might not otherwise get the opportunity to discover that they have a real flair for engineering. We urge schools to apply."

Kate Bellingham, former Tomorrow's World presenter, and now an education consultant and teacher, is an enthusiastic supporter of the programme.  "Young people learn best from practical experience. I'm really excited at the prospect of EV3 as it delivers STEM subjects in an unforgettable and engaging way.  I think the only problem teachers will have in delivering these lessons is getting the students to leave the classroom at the end."

The campaign has also been supported by Ross Brawn OBE (Motorsport engineer and Formula One Team Principal), Professor Tony Purnell (Head of Technology for British cycling), Faye Tozer (star of musical theatre and Steps), Zoe Tyler (Former Loose Woman presenter & vocal coach), Emma Pooley (Olympian Cyclist and Engineer), Jamie Carter (Paralympian Wheelchair racer T34). All have donated their time to help promote the initiative.

For more information on EEP go to http://www.eep-schools.org.uk. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 29th November 2013.

Notes to Editors

The UK needs to increase (by around 50% per year) the number of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) graduates (source Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). The Elite Engineering Programme (EEP) is a bold new education initiative to discover Britain's future engineers.  

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