GeoBus on a roll - 1 year on

One year on from the launch of the GeoBus on 18th January 2012, it has been hailed a 'tremendous success' with close to 10,000 pupils now having participated in practical hands-on Earth science on offer by the mobile science unit. To date, the GeoBus has visited 88 secondary schools, including 17 repeat visits, across Scotland, including those in remote and disadvantaged regions. It has travelled to  the Western Isles and Skye and are further visits are planned for Orkney and Shetland in the spring. The GeoBus project was presented at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen and the Earth Science Teaching Association conference last September.
The GeoBus is an educational outreach project, developed by the Department of Earth Sciences, which visits mostly secondary schools (year groups S1–S6). All teaching involves hands-on practical work which is mostly conducted in class sizes of 25 or less, working in small groups (of 5 or less). For more information, contact co-ordinator Kathryn Roper. [press story]

GeoBus starts new school year

At the end of June, GeoBus completed its tremendously successful first school term of outreach to secondary schools around Scotland. Since the launch on 18 January 2012, 5285 pupils have been involved in practical hands-on Earth science teaching activities in 41 schools across Scotland, including those in remote and disadvantaged regions. GeoBus is already booked to go to the Outer Hebrides and Skye in September 2012, and visits to Orkney and Shetland are being organised for Spring of 2013. The GeoBus project will be presented at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen and the Earth Science Teaching Association conference this September. The GeoBus is an educational outreach project, developed by the Department of Earth Sciences, which visits mostly secondary schools (year groups S1–S6). All teaching involves hands-on practical work which is mostly conducted in class sizes of 25 or less, working in small groups (of 5 or less). For more information, contact co-ordinator Kathryn Roper.

Iain Stewart launches GeoBus

GeoBus will be launched today, 18 January, by TV presenter Professor Iain Stewart at Buckhaven High School. The GeoBus is an educational outreach project developed by Dr Ruth Robinson of the Department of Earth Sciences which will travel to schools across Scotland and northern England to visit rural and urban areas in all council regions. The GeoBus aims to:

1. Support the teaching of Earth science in secondary schools by providing teaching resources that are not readily available to educators;
2. Inspire young learners by introducing new Earth science research outcomes presented by researchers;
3. Provide a bridge between industry, HEIs, Research Councils, and schools in order to highlight career opportunities in geology specifically, and Earth sciences and STEM areas more broadly.

Members of the University of St Andrews and GeoBus industrial sponsors will be present at the launch.

The GeoBus is supported by the Natural Environmental Research Council, EPSRC, The Scottish Government, Maersk, Shell, Centrica, The Mineralogical Society, The Geological Society and the University of St Andrews.

Please contact Kathryn Roper (geobus@st-andrews.ac.uk) for information about the timing of visits.