History & Facts
The After School Science and Engineering Clubs programme was created by the Government in March 2006 to inspire key stage 3 students (ages 11-14) to learn and enjoy science and engineering. This was in direct response to the concerns of employers regarding a shortage of science and technology skills within the workforce. Originally, 250 clubs piloted the scheme. This recently expanded to 500 clubs in September 2008 due to its notable success.
Each club is expected to have approximately 20 participants which means that around 10,000 students will be involved in the scheme each year
All 500 places have been allocated to schools to run After School Science and Engineering Clubs.
A list of ASSECs schools can be viewed here.
A consortium of partners is involved in the scheme which includes:
- The Association for Science Education - www.ase.org.uk
Providing Field Officer support for the Clubs Coordinator
- British Science Association - www.britishscienceassociation.org
Employing a dedicated Clubs Coordinator and developing a Clubs website.
- Association for Science and Discovery Centres - www.sciencecentres.org.uk
Developing a Clubs-specific handbook on how to run a science and engineering club
- Network of Science Learning Centres - www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk
Providing Club leaders and teachers with Clubs-specific training
- Specialist Schools and Academies Trust - www.specialistschools.org
Providing expertise on science and technology specialist schools
STEMNET manages the project on behalf of the consortium and acts as a primary contact for schools.
You can still start up a club of your own! This section will tell you how.
