2000 Pupils Benefit From Innovation & Enterprise

Following many years of steady decline in the interest of school leavers in science and technology in Fife, over 2000 school pupils from Primary 5 through to S4 are taking part in the week long festival of Science, Technology and Innovation in Dunfermline. As part of the wider inaugural Carnegie Festival, the Innovation and Enterprise Festival was lead by Carnegie College and designed to provide a valuable part of the 2008-9 school year, providing Curriculum for Excellence opportunities never before available in Fife in such a large scale format. Through a series of workshops and a wide range of hands-on activities for children, families and teachers, pupils had the opportunity to meet inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. All events were completely free thanks to a ground breaking partnership between Carnegie College and a wide range of private sector sponsors including FMC Technologies, Shell U.K. Limited and Babcock Marine working together with the college’s University partners, the Edinburgh International Science Festival and Unique Events, organisers of Edinburgh Celebrations. Principal Prof McIntosh meets Skelly the Skeletron Speaking at the launch of the week’s activities College Principal Professor McIntosh stated “Carnegie College is at the heart of the Community, and our mission is quite simply to ‘enable learning and enthuse learners’. It is our aim that this festival acts as a catalyst to support the future development, skills and talents of our children and supports Dunfermline in leading the way in generating Scotland’s next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs.” Prof. McIntosh argued “What we need to do, in looking forward, is to anticipate change. The area generally, and West Fife especially, has a very low business birthrate. We would like to address that. Why in the land of Andrew Carnegie are we so reluctant to set up our own businesses? The week is designed to stimulate what creates imagination, enterprising innovators, and technologists. Whilst most importantly understanding how we as Parents, Educators and Employers can continue to work together to release these talents in our young people.” Dr Bunhead's explosive science show Event Organiser and College Assistant Principal Janet McCauslin went on to add “We are delighted with the exciting range of opportunities for 'young people of all ages' to engage in technologically challenging activities, and creative activities to push forward our understanding of innovation and enterprise.” ”We are committed to supplying a fabulous event and to do this creatively, working with the team at UNIQUE EVENTS, Edinburgh International Science Festival and 3 universities: Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and Heriot-Watt who have offered their support and expertise to help us provide a fantastic event for local people.” “Through working with Fife Council's Education Service we can ensure that schools can use the festival as a valuable part of the 2008-9 year, providing Curriculum for Excellence opportunities never before available. For primaries 5-7 we have been able to attract such activities as, Brainiac’s Dr Bunhead, Skelly the world renowned climbing robot, Good Vibrations, Future Earth, Seeing Life in a New Light, Media-lab and much more. For the High Schools we have activities for S2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, from Techno-labs, to a masterclass on life in the corporate world, led by Global Director of Microsoft, Peter Proud.” Future Earth Show at Innovation and Enterprise Festival Speaking about the advantages in hosting such a local event local Headteacher , Pam Turner of Pittencrieff Primary stated "This is a superb opportunity for our local schools in motivating the children to acquire a real interest in scientific matters through fun activities, whilst taking their enthusiasm back to school and also home to share with their families. We are grateful to Carnegie College, The Carnegie Dunfermline and UK Trusts together with all their partners for providing the citizens of Dunfermline with such a focus on innovation, science and technology. Hopefully this will help us to following in the footsteps of the great pioneers and their technological achievements, leading to aspirations for a 21st century Dunfermline and its future technologists, business leaders and entrepreneurs. Good Vibrations show at the Carnegie Festival Craig Munro Senior Manager at Fife Educational Services went on to state “We are delighted by this innovative initiative, which demonstrates what can be achieved via high quality partnership working. I would particularly like to praise the work by Carnegie College on the Innovation and Enterprise programme. It is testimony to their leadership, negotiating talent and collective ability to pull together such a wonderful week of activities. The programme is hugely impressive and will benefit all the pupils who are involved as well as the wider community.” The event officially opened on Saturday 30 August when, over the weekend thousands of people took part in two days of open events and activities for the public to enjoy. The dedicated schools activities run from 1 September through to the 5 September. The week will culminate on Saturday 6 September in an event entitled ‘Wacky Races’. After a week of building their own ‘high performance kit cars’ at Carnegie College’s School of Engineering local high school teams will bring their model cars to life through track testing and racing, alongside a carnival of high performance cars and trucks in Dunfermline’s Pittencreiff Park.   Head of the College’s School of Engineering and Technology Sandy Murray explained the rationale behind the event “Fife has a fast growing manufacturing sector with well paid career options developing in the marine sector, renewables, and the opportunities presented by the proposed Forth Crossing. But for many years we have seen a steady decline in the interest of school leavers in science and maths. By the time children experience the excitement of technology it’s often too late to do anything to help them make the right subject choices. We have decided therefore, within our school-college partnership, to start working with younger people and their parents – to make learning fun!” David Currie, Managing Director of FMC Technologies, and principle sponsor of Innovation and Enterprise explained the importance of the event to the local economy and its businesses in nurturing future talent. “Innovation and Enterprise are key to maintaining our global market leading position. We are always looking for the best people who have the passion and skills to join our organisation, whether as part of our successful trade apprenticeship programme, graduate recruitment scheme or other professional career pathways. This festival will help to ensure that today’s youngsters are not only skilled and competent, but stand out from the competition at a local national and global level.” College Principal Professor Bill McIntosh concluded “The Carnegie Festival continues the pursuit of Dunfermline’s reclamation of the Andrew Carnegie story. 2007 saw the Carnegie Children’s Book Festival ; the renaming of the College to create Carnegie College and, in early 2008 the opening of the new Carnegie Trust offices in Andrew Carnegie House. Finally later this year will see the planned reopening of the refurbished and redeveloped Carnegie Birthplace Museum. It’s not surprising then that we can’t help but wake up to the importance of this impressive man to the lives of people in Dunfermline, and the wider Scottish Community. The Board of Management and staff of the college are delighted that we have been able to take such a leading role.”