Bethany O’Brien
Bethany O'Brien, a student, recently took part in her first STEM Ambassador activity helping students make batteries out of potatoes.
Why did you decide to become an Ambassador?
I was encouraged to join by ICE as part of my scholarship. I also wanted to help promote engineering in schools and encourage young people to consider it as a career.
On average, how much time do you commit to STEM Ambassador activities?
I joined in September 2008, but have only done one event so far.
Describe the latest activity you were involved in.
Potato Battery workshop at the Barbican Centre.
What was your role in this activity? What were you responsible for?
I helped the children make batteries out of potatoes and explained to the how it works.
What do you feel were the positive outcomes for the pupils and teaching staff?
The children learnt how batteries and electric current/voltage work in simple terms. They saw that science can be fun and useful for everyday things.
What do you feel were the positive outcomes for yourself?
I really enjoyed the day, especially meeting with other Ambassadors and seeing the children enjoy the activity was particularly rewarding.
Do you have any tips for future STEM Ambassadors?
Talk the children about what they’re interested in. Engage them in conversation - maybe start by asking them their name to encourage them to speak to you.
Any other comments
I did the potato battery workshop with 2 other STEM Ambassadors (one of them had been an electrical engineer) so they explained it to me before we started, which made things easier for me.
