The Materials Processing Institute has hosted a visit by 50 teenage innovators focused on using innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) to overcome global sustainability challenges.
The 14- to 17-year-olds are part of the AFS Global STEM Innovators programme, a five-week full-scholarship programme that aims to equip these future leaders with the necessary skills and understanding while improving the diversity of STEM talent. The programme is run by AFS Intercultural Programs, a global, non-profit educational exchange organisation, and the scholarships are funded by bp.
The programme scholars are drawn from the Darlington, Teesside, Aberdeen, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea areas and, on completion, will continue to benefit from mentorship, networking, and further academic and professional development opportunities.
The Middlesbrough-based Institute is a national centre for research and innovation into advanced materials, industrial decarbonisation, the circular economy, and digital technologies, and is a member of the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC) which runs the UKRI-funded EconoMISER Programme that supports the scale-up of sustainable technologies within the metals, cement, chemicals, glass and paper sectors.
At the Institute, the Global STEM Innovators gained firsthand experience to bring its technologies and concepts to life. Their visit included mentorship sessions with staff, along with a series of dynamic and engaging activities.
It also highlighted the Institute’s own commitment to supporting STEM education, through its participation in annual Milman Scholarship, aimed at students within the Tees Valley, and the Year In Industry programme. It also provides work experience sessions.
Sean Reilly, Director of Program Development at AFS Intercultural Programs said: “We are proud to expand the AFS Global STEM Innovators in the United Kingdom, to foster curiosity, build mutual understanding, and engage in intercultural dialogue amongst diverse and talented youth who are eager to create positive impact in the world. To this end, we are grateful to collaborate with institutions like the Materials Processing Institute that offer critical insights and a firsthand look into future technologies and key STEM skills needed to help advance the world’s sustainable development goals.”
Terry Walsh, CEO of the Materials Processing Institute, said: “We are thrilled to have had an opportunity to inspire and mentor these bright young minds. Their enthusiasm and curiosity are inspiring and, we believe that by engaging with them today, we are helping to shape the innovators of tomorrow who will lead the charge in making our world a more sustainable place.
“I’d also like to say a special thanks to those dedicated colleagues at the Institute who shared their time and expertise to mentor these young innovators. Their ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible and enjoyable has undoubtedly left a lasting impression.”
Two of those who acted as mentors were Aimee Hughes, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, who is the Institute’s 2024 Millman Scholar and is studying Mathematics at the University of Manchester, and Susan Ojo, previously a Year In Industry student, who is studying Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University.