Durham University Schools’ Science Festival aims to support the next generation of scientists from the local area by stimulating an interest and wider participation in science.

Since 1995, the festival has attracted many thousands of school students from across the region. This year the three-day Festival was held in March and was hosted by the Departments of Biosciences and Psychology.

The festival is designed for Year 9 and Year 10 students, providing many exciting hands-on activities from departments such as Biosciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Maths, Museums & Libraries, Physics, Psychology, and the Department of Exercise and Sport.

Over the course of the festival 648 students from 21 schools attended sessions across the three days, working in teams from their own school to complete a half-day programme covering a selection from the interactive science activities.

The aim of the festival is to engage the students and improve their understanding of real-life science and technology whilst increasing their awareness of opportunities. The programme is demanding, but experience has shown that motivated students respond well to this type of challenge.