Monday 29 March 2021
Three alumni ‘Zoomed’ into GSAL Primary School classrooms to help pupils celebrate British Science Week. Charles Spence (OL87), Laura Hoang (OG08) and Chris Pearson (OL92) all shared their expertise with the children during the 10-day festival of science, technology, engineering and maths.
The focus of Science Week this year was innovation for the future. Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist, kicked off the event when he spoke to Year 6 children on Zoom about sensory perception and how the senses are all linked. He talked about innovative restaurant ideas and food experiences, like playing sounds of the sea in a seafood restaurant, and invited the children to explore how their senses were linked whilst eating sweets and crisps …an activity that they particularly enjoyed!
Next up was Laura Hoang, an engineer with BAE Systems, who talked to Year 4 pupils about being an award-winning aerospace design engineer and her various roles on the Royal Aeronautical Society. She also described some of the many projects that she has worked on and her work on encouraging more women to take up engineering.
Year 5 children had a treat in store when Chris Pearson, the CEO of Roccor, joined them from Colorado, USA, to describe his life as a rocket scientist. Chris, who has worked in the space industry in Europe and the US for 20 years, is chiefly responsible for the company’s space programmes and is an international space ambassador.
The photo shows Year 4 pupils enjoying their online session with Laura Hoang.