Blog
We’re delighted to be working with AMD to deliver effective outreach in primary schools, inspiring the next generation of STEM enthusiasts.
The UKESF Primary Electronics Programme is designed to be a fun introduction to electronic concepts with cross curricular learning outcomes. It has been thoughtfully developed to support 9-11 year olds to see that they already possess the attributes – such as curiosity, creativity or problem solving – to pursue STEM, and support them to align their perception of themselves with their perception of ‘people who work in STEM’.
With the support of industry, the programme enables primary-aged pupils to hear from real-world Electronics Engineers, who are able to talk passionately about their role and the impact of the sector, and lead an engaging ‘snap circuits’ activity.
We are grateful to AMD for sharing their experience of the programme:
Why did AMD want to be involved in the project?
We wanted to deliver high‑quality, professional STEM outreach that truly aligned with AMD’s brand – events we’d be excited to offer to both our engineers and local primary schools. To make our STEM outreach as impactful as possible, we wanted to draw on the expertise of people with proven experience in engaging and inspiring this age group.
How have your team benefited from being involved?
Tina Goodfellow, AMD, said: ‘This was my first time being involved in delivering a STEM event in primary schools, and I found it incredibly rewarding. Seeing the students’ curiosity, creativity, and determination as they explored how electronics work, and realizing that STEM really can be for everyone, is something I am genuinely proud to have been part of. Experiences like this can make such a difference, helping young people see what’s possible and imagine themselves in future STEM careers.’
How have the schools you’ve visited benefited?
Jen Finlayson, Roslin Primary School said: ‘Thank you both so much for coming in to deliver such a worthwhile and well organised workshop.
The activities and visuals were perfectly pitched and the learners were very interested and all fully engaged throughout the workshop. The timing and pace was ideal and held everyone’s attention. It was useful that they were supported initially in building their circuits and then given a challenge to attempt more independently. Being in pairs also provided those who were less sure with a bit of support and opportunity for discussion. The snap circuits were brilliant and definitely something we would love to look into using more in schools to support learning around electric circuits.
It was great that the associated skills and qualities such as resilience and imagination were highlighted so explicitly throughout. This linked really well with the Metaskills we cover in school. The learners definitely gained a better understanding of the work AMD do and the job opportunities they could pursue in this area in future. It was a really fantastic and worthwhile hands-on STEM input for our Science Week.’
What would you tell other companies thinking of getting involved in UKESF Primary Education?
- We received excellent training from experienced workshop facilitators, bringing to life how to manage the event in a classroom
- The UKESF shared a high‑quality presentation for the sessions, that gave us lots of ideas for improving engagement and effectiveness across other outreach events we run
- The follow‑up electronic engagement kits that are given to the schools are a great resource for reinforcing time we spent with the class
- Access to workshop kits with minimal investment required
- Very little design time needed, a very engaging activity was already prepared.
If your organisation would like to get involved in the UKESF Primary Electronics programme, find out more on our website or get in touch at [email protected].
