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14 schools for Salters' Festival of Chemistry at the University

Students from 14 schools in Kent will enjoy a fun-filled day of chemistry at the Salters' Festival of Chemistry to be held at the School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, on Tuesday 29 April 2008.

Each school will be represented by a team of four 11-13 year olds. During the morning, the teams will take part in the Salters' Challenge, a competitive, hands-on, practical activity in which they will use their analytical chemistry skills. In the afternoon, they will compete in the University Challenge, a practical activity chosen by the University, in which they will be required to solve a crime using different forensic skills. This will be followed by a fun lecture, involving firearms and criminal case studies by Mark Johnson, a former Forensic Investigation Officer, and now Lecturer in Forensic Science at the University.

The day will end with a prize-giving (all participants will receive individual prizes and certificates of participation) and the winning teams will be awarded cash prizes for their schools. The first prize for each challenge is £100, the second prize is £50 and the third prize is £25.

Dr Stefano Biagini, Lecturer in Organic Chemistry in the School of Physical Sciences, said: 'The Salters' Festival is a great annual event that showcases not just how much fun science can be but also how central it is to our everyday lives. This year, the pupils will have to investigate two separate crimes using their chemistry knowledge and their forensic skills - they will be judged on their final reports and on their abilities in the lab. I would also like to congratulate the teachers for inspiring and encouraging the pupils, and it is very pleasing to meet former graduates from Kent who are now teachers.'

The participating schools will be: Ashford School, Castle View School, Dover Grammar School for Girls, Hilden Grange School, Junior King's School, Laleham Gap School, Marlowe Academy, Marshalls Park School, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, St. George's C of E Foundation School, St. Lawrence College, The Hereson School, The Norton Knatchbull School and The Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls.

The aim of the Salters' Festival of Chemistry, an initiative of the Salters' Institute, is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young. The Festival at the University of Kent is one of a series of fifty-three festivals taking place at universities throughout the UK and Ireland between March and June 2008.

It is run in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 3:27pm 17 April 2008