News
a CLASS act
Friday 20th January 2012
"The appliance of science is being used to get troubled kids back into school". So begins an article from the Sunday Post about how our circuits are being used at CLASS, a special school in Glasgow.
Here is the full article (click for full size):
Article on CLASS from Sunday Post, 19th June 2011
More photos on our photos page!
Christmas Corner
Monday 12th December 2011
Light up Christmas with some of these ideas! Some free replacement supplies are still available so claim yours today.
Replacement supplies are sponsored by the Institute of Physics and are available to any club that took part in the Lighting Up project last year. Just email Benjie using the form on the Contact page. There are two options - 17 of each circuit, or 7 of each circuit plus an extra soldering iron and tools. Let us know which you would prefer.
New clubs tell us about your Christmas ideas and you might be lucky!
These fantastic Christmas Cards were made by the pupils of Sacred Heart Primary, Penicuik. Mount your picture on cardboard or plywood, cover with sticky back plastic, drill a few holes and poke through LEDs.
Light Up Christmas Cards from Sacred Heart Primary
How many circuits can you include in one Christmas Card?
Giant Light-Up Christmas Card from Peebles High
Where it all began...
Light Up Christmas Card from Peebles High circa 1992
Half a ping pong ball makes a great diffuser for our rainbow circuit. See http://www.lightingupthecfe.com/instructions/11 for details on how to extend your rainbow circuit LED out on wires.
Light Up Reindeer Card from Sacred Heart Primary
Light Up Holly ...
Light Up Holly
What else could you light up for Christmas??? Rainbows round your room, twinkling table decorations, flickering candles... Rudolph, Santa and the Christmas crib ...have you lit up yours?
Light Up Masks
And how much can you raise for charity by selling your creations?????
Light Up Masks
A Day in Dundee
Wednesday 23rd November 2011
Nine primaries and four high schools signed up for our second combined soldering workshop with Rampaging Chariots. Two highly enthusiastic STEM Ambassadors from the University of St. Andrews offered ongoing support to the teachers. Once again everyone succeeded in mastering soldering and fault-finding skills.
The day finished with a relay competition offering all the teachers a fun chance to drive a Rampaging Chariot.
Halloween at Priorsford
Friday 4th November 2011
Wee witches, wizards, pumpkins, bats and broomsticks were all flickering and flashing as the new Priorsford Nursery 'sparks of genius' enjoyed a Spooky Halloween visit from the LUTCFE Team.
Edinburgh Soldering Workshop
Friday 7th October 2011
Our first combined soldering workshop with Rampaging Chariots was a huge success.
Five primaries received free Starter Kits whilst five high schools each received two Rampaging Chariot kits. This was made possible by generous sponsorship from the IET.
Teachers learned how to solder and fault find using our rainbow kit and other circuits. All were amazingly successful.
The day ended with a robotic relay race around an obstacle course, narrowly won by the high school teachers.
Thanks to Craigroyston School for hosting.
Peebles Science Fair 2011
Friday 7th October 2011
Local primaries lit up parties and aliens at this year’s Peebles Science Fair. Eleven volunteers from Peebles High School soldered circuits for the pupils to incorporate into their models.
Sponsored by Global Science and the SCDI, the event at Eastgate Theatre was attended by almost 300 children. The fair brought together hands on workshops from Edinburgh Science Festival and Glasgow Science Centre together with an amazing Science Show complete with enough bangs and smells to entertain all ages.
Comments ranged from 'amazing' to 'awesome'.
LUTCFE Update 2011 - Two Grants, Free Kits, Circuit Improvements...
Tuesday 20th September 2011
Thanks to two generous grants we will be sending out many free electronic kits again this year.
The Institute of Engineering and Technology have awarded Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland £3750 which we will use to distribute 15 free starter kits to schools looking to start a club. This follows a generous grant of £5000 from the IET last year that kick-started the LUTCFE project with 20 free starter kits.
The Institute of Physics in Scotland have awarded YESC Scotland £2500 which we will use to distribute free replacement parts to 20 of the schools that took part in the project last year. Contact us using the contact page if you are interested.
This year's kits have had a few improvements that we hope will make them even more fun. The candle circuit is now a "magic candle" that can turn itself on when you turn off the lights. The five flashing lights circuit has red, orange, yellow, green and blue LEDs to make it even prettier. It also includes heatshrink sleeving to prevent short circuits and show you another useful skill. The rainbow, near perfect last year, has had a minor bug fix so it stops correctly at all colours.
Responding to last year's biggest request, instructions come with much clearer photographs which you can also click on for an even bigger view. Meet Teddy, our new model, who helps out in the photos.
Starter kits are available this year as before at cost price of £250. Replacement circuits are available at cost price too - contact us for details.
Any comments, questions, feedback? We'd love to hear from you on the contact page. We'd especially love photographs of anything you've made with our circuits!
Guest Post from Will Smith, builder of the Newlands Dalek
Monday 18th July 2011
Will Smith tells us about building the famous Newlands Dalek...
When we first started doing the Dalek it seemed like it was never going to happen because we had so much to do and it took a week or so to start enjoying it because at the start we had to design it. Then we started getting materials and cutting the cardboard and when it was almost done done we still had the best bits to do. We painted it all red and had to do the soldering of the lights and then it was starting to look good, really like a Dalek.
When most of the lights were working we tested it with the Rampaging Chariot and it could move!
Then we were told by our teacher that 8 of us would be going to Glasgow to enter a competition he chose the 8 and in 2 weeks time we went to it. We won the First Prize in the Showcase and we did well in the technology challenges, we got through to the second round where we were knocked out. It was fun for all of us and would have enjoyed it even if we had not won.
Derek the Dalek at Dynamic Earth
The 3 reasons why every other school should have an active YE club...............
- Everyone enjoyed it
- Kept everyone involved after school..............avoided anyone being bored.
- We found great things about each other we didn’t expect when we worked as a team.
Happy Birthday
Monday 18th July 2011
Another great idea incorporating one of our circuits!.
Light Up Birthday Cake
Is this science and technology?
Celebration of Engineering
Thursday 30th June 2011
We were delighted to see so so many circuits incorporated into showcases at the recent Glasgow Celebration of Engineering.
Kingsland Primary in Peebles created an iconic model of their home town, illustrating the essential role already played by civil, electrical and mechanical engineers and the significance of all three in ensuring a future supply of affordable and acceptable renewable energy for Peebles.
Not to be outdone the newly formed Peebles Priorsford Nursery 'Sparks of Genius' gained a massive cheer for their float in the town's Beltane Parade.
P6 from the Sacred Heart Primary visited local Penicuik House with their 'rainbow'.
Aliens in Pencaitland
Tuesday 17th May 2011
Following a promise made to a superb Rampaging Chariot driver at the Edinburgh Science Festival, all of P5 / P6 at Pencaitland Primary created their very own alien today.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Thursday 12th May 2011
Almost 200 'aliens' all capable of sending messages at 300 million metres per second were designed and built by our enthusiastic visitors at the City Arts Centre. Thank you to the sponsors from the Edinburgh Science Triangle and photographer Colin Hattersley.
Sparks of Genius
Thursday 24th March 2011
Priorsford Nursery in Peebles have been taking apart electronic gadgets to find out how they work.
Their dedicated staff volunteered to join the LUTCFE workshop at Peebles High School last week and have since constructed a rainbow for each child. They soldered in the final component of each as the children watched, and the children were able to insert the chip themselves and switch on the magic rainbow.
The enthusiasm of the wee ones has been so infectious that today they have persuaded Priorsford Primary to join YESC and next session they will have a combined lunch time club.
Famous Fife
Wednesday 23rd March 2011
Fifty-seven pupils from four Fife primaries and their ten teachers had a fabulous time at our Alien Light workshop last week.
All teams completed the challenge of constructing an alien that could communicate at 300,000,000 metres per second.
Why not join us on Thursday 14th or 21st April in the City Arts Centre, Edinburgh when we take the event to the Edinburgh International Science Festival?
Return to Peebles High School
Friday 18th March 2011
It was in Lab 3 at Peebles High School that the first 'light up' circuits were built and incorporated into everything and anything that could be lit up... and usually turned into profit.
Where better to celebrate Lighting up the CfE during Science and Engineering Week?
Last night's intensive two hour session saw seven teachers and helpers from Kingsland primary and Priorsford Nursery successfully complete the soldering and circuit construction.
Thank you to rector John Brown and head of Science Jim Reilly and to S2 Young Engineer Oliver for making us so welcome.
Lighting Up Midlothian
Monday 14th March 2011
An anonymous donor has funded starter kits for four targeted high schools and their feeder primaries in Midlothian. So far Beeslack High School with Mauricewood Primary (Lego Champions 2011) and Newbattle High with Stobhill Primary have accepted the challenge. They aim to work together to produce something as amazing as last year's pilot in Midlothian when Penicuik High School, Sacred Heart Primary and Findlay Irvine ltd. joined forces. See the photo page. Two kits remain...
Science and Engineering Week
Monday 14th March 2011
Tuesday sees us in Burntisland Museum of Communication, where five Fife primaries will evolve aliens at our pilot Alien Light event. Soon to be seen at Edinburgh's Science Festival. Watch this space...
Thursday takes us to Peebles High School where the omnipresent Young Engineers and Scientists will host a twilight Lighting Up session for feeder primaries.
New Circuits
Wednesday 2nd March 2011
We're dreaming up a few improvements for our circuits for the year ahead.
First up, our candle will become a "magic candle", with a light sensor that can turn it on automatically in the dark. We'll be able to provide the few components needed to upgrade earlier candles.
The 5 Flashing Lights will now be in five colours - red, orange, yellow, green and blue. We'll add a few different sequences and make it easier to turn off.
The rainbow we think is perfect as it is.
What do you think? Let us know via the contact page!
Stop Press
Friday 26th November 2010
The whole of primary six and seven at Sacred Heart Primary School in Penicuik, Midlothian succeeded in 'Lighting up the Curriculum for Excellence' this week. With help from their class teacher Miss Kydd, the school technician Mr Bathgate and local electronics company Findlay Irvine they each designed and constructed a re-useable flashing Christmas card in time for sale at their School Christmas Fayre on Saturday 27th November. Thanks also to James, fifth year physics pupil from Beeslack High School whose spontaneous help was tremendous. More photos on our photos page.
Congratulations to Priorsford Nursery in Peebles who yesterday agreed to pilot the first nursery light-up in association with their primary 4 pupils and Peebles High School Young Engineers.
Well done!
Lighting Up Glasgow
Thursday 25th November 2010
Our fourth and final teacher training day for the 20 IET sponored starter kits was a huge success. Six teachers from five schools across Glasgow learned to construct our circuits and took away a free starter kit containing 60 circuits along with a soldering iron and tools. Three STEM Ambassadors came along to offer ongoing support to the schools that are "lighting up the curriculum for excellence" in the Glasgow area.
Highlands and Islands Teacher Training Session
Tuesday 16th November 2010
The third and biggest of our teacher training sessions took place in Dingwall yesterday and was a huge success. Eight teachers and one parent volunteer enjoyed learning to solder our three light-up circuits and look forward to sharing their new skills with pupils in their clubs. We look forward to seeing many light-up inventions at the Young Engineers and Science Clubs showcase in Glasgow next spring.
The event follows two similarly successful training sessions in Inverclyde and Aberdeen regions.
National Science and Engineering Week
Tuesday 26th October 2010
The LUTCFE Team are challenging users to join National Science and Engineering Week in March 2011 with the theme Communication. Already plans are afoot all across Scotland. If you have a special idea for using your kit to ‘communicate’ why not apply for a £500 grant from www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/NSEW
Communications Event at Peebles Eastgate
Saturday 2nd October 2010
There was great excitement during September when once again Science and Theatre combined to provide Peebles with what was this year a real mini Festival.
Jenny Chapman’s Brilliant Sci-Fi Drama ‘The Rescuers’ had it’s first three performances by members of Tweed Theatre as the climax of a week of themed primary school workshops, demonstrations and a sparkling evening lecture to a packed house from Heather (the Weather) Reid.
The Event was duly lit up, by the ever increasing LUTCFE team including members old and new from PHS Young Engineers and Scientists Club, Selex Galileo, the Science Ambassadors and our special helpers from the Eastgate itself.
Almost 200 local primary pupils rose to the challenge of designing and constructing evolved humans / humanoids capable of sending an SOS at 300 million metres a second .......
Hawick Science Festival
Saturday 15th May 2010
We ran a highly successful and very popular three-day workshop at the Hawick Science Festival last week. Four pupils from Hawick High School Engineering Club ran themed tables where children made models based on our light-up circuits, and taught anyone interested the basics of soldering. As thanks for their excellent help we presented Hawick Engineering Club with the first of our Starter Kits.
More photos from the day are in our photo gallery.
Open Day at Findlay Irvine
Monday 10th May 2010
Our second pilot workshop was a roaring success! As part of the open day at Findlay Irvine in Penicuik, we gave away around 50 of our circuits. Older children learned to solder while younger ones watched, and all ages came up with ingenious uses for the circuits. Highlight of the day has to be the light-up ice cream cone - strawberry, chocolate or vanilla at the touch of a button!
Learning to Solder
More photos from the day are in our photo gallery.
£5000 from IET
Monday 10th May 2010
Following successful pilots in Borders, Fife and Midlothian the IET have awarded Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland £5000 to distribute 20 starter kits throughout Scotland during 2010.
The kits together with a day's training with a registered Ambassador are now available. To apply email Jane Martin or use the form on our contact page.
