Today was a day off to be a ‘school host’ for Blue Fusion – IBM Hursley’s annual week-long Science Fair for Year 11 (15/16 year old) school pupils. The aim is to promote the benefits of science, technology and engineering to a younger audience. We invite local schools to come to the Hursley Park labs and compete in a variety of activities. The activites are designed and developed by teams at Hursley, focusing on balancing education with entertainment.
As a school host, I got to show the students and teachers from one school around today. It’s been too long since I last got to spend a day at work doing something ‘fluffy’ like this. I really like Blue Fusion – it’s a unique chance for us to try and encourage and enthuse what could be the next generation of scientists and engineers.
I haven’t had much to do with it leading up to the event this year, but I know from my involvement in previous years how much work is involved in getting it all ready. Hundreds of school children, ten guest speakers (some from outside IBM), and ten original hands-on educational activities. It’s an exciting challenge, and a satisfying extension to the ‘day job’.
Good to see you briefly at the top and tail of the day.
You’re right, the effort involved may seem nearly invisible to those attending, but there are months of planning and preparation; and some of the helpers often don’t deal with groups like these, so it can be an effort for all of us on the day!