Jellyfish and aspirin for chemistry ‘detectives’
Posted on 15 August 2007
The 50 students will participate in the fun of chemistry to motivate them to develop awareness and a long-term interest in the subject through an action-packed programme.Each student will have the opportunity to tackle a variety of new activities. They will explore the reasons why jellyfish glow in the dark, and analyse DNA from several suspects to try to pinpoint the criminal!
They will learn about the history of aspirin, and make a sample of the product to purify and analyse. There will also be the opportunity to try out the oscillating reactions related to the process that gives tigers their stripes.
In addition, students will be able to see chemistry applied in industry by visiting the Croda site, a company that makes raw ingredients that are used in many household and personal care products. But it is not all chemistry – there is a varied social programme for the campers, including tenpin bowling and a Ghost Walk.
"The Camp is a life-changing experience for many students – we know that it helps them to decide on their future career path," said Dr Annie Hodgson, the University host.
"This year one of the University students, who will be helping with lab work during the Camp, attended the Chemistry Camp in 2001. I think it is wonderful that the Camp had such an influence on her that she wants to give up part of her summer vacation to give something back to the next generation of Campers." She added.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Camps are residential events held at eleven universities throughout the UK. The first Camps were held in 1998. The aim of the Camps is to develop both awareness of and a long-term interest in the subject through an action-packed week's programme which includes hands-on practical work in the university labs, together with lectures, an interesting site visit to a local company and a variety of social activities in the evenings.
- Each Camp hosts fifty 15-year olds from a variety of schools across the country. Each school can nominate two candidates to attend a Camp. The Camps are staffed by a University Host, a Lead Teacher and a team of five teachers. The students and teachers are accommodated in a University Hall of Residence. During the last six years over 2,550 students have experienced life at a Salters’ Chemistry Camp. Another 800 students will join this total in 2007.
- Since 1998 sponsorship in support of the Camps has been raised from over forty companies.
This year, the Salters’ Chemistry Camp at the University of York is sponsored by: -
The Salters’ Institute; Croda; The Armourers and Brasiers’ Company; AstraZeneca; The Biological & Medicinal Chemistry Sector (of the RSC); Biorad; The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York; Sigma Aldrich; The Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry; Institution of Chemical Engineers; The Royal Society and The Royal Society of Chemistry. - The Salters’ Company is one of the Great Twelve City of London Livery Companies and was founded in 1394 for the medieval trade in salt. The Company’s activities today are centred on charitable and educational giving. The Salters' Institute, established in 1918, and now the Flagship Charity of the Salters' activities, aims to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young and to encourage careers in the teaching of chemistry and in the UK chemical and allied industries.
- The Institute’s three core activities are the Salters Chemistry Club and Salters' Festivals of Chemistry for 11 to 14 year olds; Salters' Chemistry Camps for those aged 15, in partnership with other scientific institutions, and Curriculum Development, undertaken at the University of York, including Salters GCSE Science and Twenty First Century Science and Salters Advanced Chemistry, Salters Horners Advanced Physics and Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology.
- Other Institute activities include: The Salters’ Graduate Prizes, Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology Prizes, Salters Advanced Chemistry Prizes, Salters Horners Advanced Physics Prizes, Salters’ City and Guilds Prizes, and annual events including a Seminar hosted on behalf of the Chemical Education Group (the eleven major institutions involved with Chemical Education), Chemistry and the Law Lecture in association with Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw and culminating with the Salters’ Awards Ceremony which is held in December of each year at Salters’ Hall.
- The Department of Chemistry at the University of York has an excellent reputation for teaching and research. In the last Research Assessment Exercise the department was awarded a 5 rating. It is led by Royal Society of Chemistry prize-winners in all three branches of physical, organic and inorganic chemistry. It has 46 members of academic staff, more than 380 undergraduate students, 150 graduates and 90 research fellows. More information at www.york.ac.uk/depts/chem