Chemistry staff run a variety of engaging masterclasses and workshops, both at the Mile End campus where the Department of Chemistry is located and in schools across London and the South East.
Below is a list of chemistry outreach activities that target students of various ages.
The Chemistry Residential Summer School at Queen Mary University of London is a three-day program for Year 12 students from Schools based in the UK who have chosen to study chemistry (A level or IB) and are interested in pursuing a degree in Chemical Sciences.
The summer school grants participants the opportunity to experience a Russell Group university and gain a real insight into studying chemistry at a research-intensive institution. The three-day residential school involves workshops, lectures, and laboratory sessions in our new £5.5 million world class teaching laboratory. Internationally leading scientists contribute to the delivery of the different activities, and there are opportunities to discuss career options and degree choices.
Always popular, this session includes a 2-hour theory class, with problem-solving followed by an opportunity to view demonstrations of FTIR (students get hands-on experience to run liquid and solid samples), NMR and GC-MS instrumentation. This class is intended to support and aid an understanding of spectroscopy that forms a part of the AS/A2 chemistry syllabus. Schools can also borrow the 'Spectroscopy in a Suitcase' kit from the RSC which can be used at the school.
We are proud to be a host of the ever-popular Salters’ Institute Festivals of Chemistry Discovery Days. Teams of Y10/11 students explore all that chemistry offers as a subject area and as a gateway to many careers, through carrying out experiments in the lab, meeting our alumni, and experiencing an exciting and explosive demonstration lecture.
This very popular practical and fun talk is aimed for students of all ages (5-18 years) but may be adapted for a non-scientific audience of any age, such as a youth club or society. This session aims to demonstrate the fun and relevance of chemistry in the modern world through a series of bright, loud and often smelly demonstrations using everyday objects and chemicals! The lecture/demonstration can be part of a ½ day visit to QMUL that includes a Campus Tour and a visit to the Department, or can be taken to the school/college.
For more information please email us on spcs-outreach@qmul.ac.uk