School of Biosciences

For Undergraduate students

We are keen to give our undergraduate students the opportunity to both observe the School's staff and postgraduate students and to participate in schools and public engagement activities.  

Why do it?

Learning acquired via extracurricular activities can increase your future employability (ie better equip you for employment). Skills such as communication, self-management, teamworking and/or business/customer awareness can be enhanced by taking part in science engagement activities. 

Students are also invaluable as role models to inspire school pupils to consider studying bioscience further.

Work experience outside of the University

We have teamed up with GO Wales and a variety of science engagement businesses to offer you work tasters , which are short and flexible unpaid opportunities to gain experience of working in science engagement and/or in schools. These work tasters could help you get a head start in today's competitive job market. 

Work tasters could potentially be arranged with;

•  Techniquest Science Centre
•  Monmouth Science Initiative - this is organised and run by school teachers
•  Eco-explore - a local company that provides wildlife and nature tours and event for the public in South Wales

Go Wales Work Taster case study 

Eco-explore also run Professional Training Year (PTY) placements for students in the School of Biosciences.

What engagement opportunities exist within the University?

• Annual "Learn About Life" event for Primary schools

This event is run in the Biomedical Building during National Science and Engineering Week (14th and 15th March 2012) for around 240 visiting 10/11 year old pupils. There are opportunities to help to run a workshop or act as a guide (see  Case Studies  for more details)

• Brain Awareness Week (mid-March annually)

The School of Biosciences in conjunction with the Neuroscience and mental health Research Institute runs a number of activities that you could either attend or participate in (see web link for further details. Next year dates will be posted nearer the time);

• • "Learn About Life" neuroscience session (see above)
  •  Techniquest neuroscience workshops - act as a demonstrator (this link is for the Science of Me weekend, but the "Brain Trail" activities are the same in Brain Awareness Week)
  •  Neuroscience Open Afternoon - neuroscience students may attend the talks given by senior academics in Cardiff University and visit the accompanying workshops if there are sufficient spaces. Contact Fiona Wyllie if you are interested.
  • Chapter Sci Screen film - watch film and join in debate
  • Philosophy Cafe

• Activities in Techniquest Science Centre

Family weekends

Cardiff University links up with Techniquest Science Centre (in Cardiff Bay) on two occasions during the year;

• •  "Science of Me" - 26th and 27th November 2011
  •   National Science and Engineering Week/ Brain Awareness Week - TBA

At both of these events, 2 sets of activities are run in the main exhibition area and students are welcome to attend as demonstrators - "The Cells in Your Body" and the "Brain Trail"

See the "Science of Me" link for more details and images from the event.

Workshops for visiting schools

Students are welcome to act as demonstrators at workshops that Techniquest run for visiting schools. The biology workshops that they run are - Bodies & Bones (for KS2) 11 -21 October 2011; Hands-On DNA (A level) 6-9 December 2011; DNA Photocopying/Hands-On DNA (A level) 20-29 March 2012; Animal Magic (KS2) 15-25 May 2012

• Schools workshops

We run a series of one day events for visiting secondary school pupils throughout the academic year. Students can act as demonstrators and/or chat to the visiting pupils about University life and our courses. See News & Events for upcoming events or contact Fiona Wyllie for more details.

• "Biology in Society" module optional coursework (FY students)

This coursework will provide training to run an ethical session on stem cell research with school pupils. Participants will attend a training session and can then opt to go, as part of a small team, to a secondary school or sixth form college. Find further details and specific time in the Autumn term on Blackboard (podcast)

•  Student Volunteering Cardiff (SVC)

The SVC is a charity run by the students at Cardiff University. They volunteer in and around Cardiff working with the elderly, young, disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community on a wide variety of different projects. Some of these projects have a bioscience connection eg Techniquest Primary School project, environmental and mental health projects.

•  Cardiff Mentoring

Cardiff University delivers the largest mentoring project of its kind in the UK. The project is carried out in collaboration with all universities in SE Wales and is part of the Reaching Wider First Campus Initiative. Currently 72 students are providing mentoring to 360 Year 10 pupils in 8 Cardiff Schools. Students work on a one-to-one basis with five pupils each week throughout the school year from September through to April. The aim of the project is to improve GCSE grades and to increase awareness of Higher Education. The National Mentoring Project is a Reaching Higher Reaching Wider initiative of which Cardiff University is an active partner in SE Wales. The project encourages universities to work collaboratively to increase awareness of Higher Education amongst school pupils aged 11 — 15 years and to maximise opportunities for progression to university.

• Become a STEM Ambassador

Stating that you engaged with the public as a "STEM Ambassador" will sound better in your CVs etc than merely stating that you have done "some public engagement". See Training Opportunities for more details.