Science week with "Olly's Cool Box of Plastics"

Pic. Polymer Ambassador, Justyna Elliott from the BPF engages young audience with "Olly's Cool Box of Plastics"

During the recent British Science Week (8-17 March 2019) one of the British Plastics Federation’s Polymer Ambassadors, Business Development Executive Justyna Elliott, brought the world of plastics to nearly 180 children at a local primary school.

The aim of the BPF’s and PlasticsEurope joint initiative, called the Polymer Ambassadors programme, is to train people from the polymer industry to deliver a set of experiments designed for primary school children and engage students in the exciting world of polymers.

Part of the STEM Ambassador programme, a nationwide scheme supporting over 30,000 ambassadors visiting schools to discuss science, engineering and maths, the Polymer Ambassador scheme has already trained in excess of fifty ambassadors throughout Britain.

Six classes from three different school years were taught about different polymer types and how they can be made and used, engaging with nearly 180 students.

The theme of the science week at the primary school was the ‘Journey of Plastic’ with a focus on reducing, reusing and recycling.

Commenting on her experience, Elliott states:

“Children can get involved in most of the experiments by helping with measuring the raw material for creating an expanded polystyrene ball or dropping a raw egg on the floor in a protective helmet, for example. The children were mesmerised by the amount of water soaked up by the super-absorbent material and by the disappearing in water PVA plastic film.”

Next year the British Science Week will be between 6-15 March 2020. For more details on Polymer Ambassador scheme visit www.polymerzone.co.uk or email Matt Davies at the BPF on [email protected]