Categories: News

Science funds set to benefit primary schools

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-800" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;05&sol;SND05-3-NEWS-Bayer&lowbar;300x225&lowbar;295x221&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND05-3-NEWS-Bayer 300x225 295x221" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"295" height&equals;"221" &sol;>Eight lucky primary schools throughout New Zealand are about to get a whole lot more scientific following the recent announcement of grants awarded from the Bayer Primary School Science Fund&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The funding – up to &dollar;2000 per school – will be used for a variety of projects ranging from studying water quality and riparian planting to creating &&num;8216&semi;outdoor classrooms&&num;8217&semi; and even an archaeological dig&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Bayer managing director Dr Holger Detje said he was delighted to see so many schools embracing environmental science education&period;&nbsp&semi;&&num;8220&semi;The students not only get to learn more about scientific methodology and the environment&comma; but in some cases their projects will benefit not only the school&comma; but the wider community too&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I am particularly delighted&comma; to see some of the funding spent on scientific equipment such as water testing kits&comma; weather measuring tools&comma; air and soil probes and microscopes&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It&&num;8217&semi;s the hands-on use of these tools that can really inspire our younger generation to become scientists in the future&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;As a science-based company&comma; Bayer knows very well the importance of science in developing new products for the benefit of people&comma; plants and animals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Well done to the eight successful schools &&num;8211&semi; it&&num;8217&semi;s great to see a strong focus on scientific learning through so many wonderful projects&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand&comma; the Bayer Primary School Sience Fund is worth &dollar;120&comma;000 over three years and is designed to give primary schools the opportunity to apply for funding to support environmental science education and resource Nature of Science activities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Royal Society of New Zealand CEO Dr Di McCarthy said the Society was committed to advancing quality primary science education by encouraging primary students and their teachers to understand&comma; participate and contribute to authentic science activities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;There were many great applications for the fund this year&comma; which is really heartening to see&period; It is particularly pleasing to see the underlying passion of these young people and their teachers who seek to resolve real-life environmental issues and problems through hands-on scientific investigations&period; Through carrying out these projects&comma; these students will develop critical thinking skills that will assist them in all areas of their lives&period; This is why science education is invaluable and why we are so pleased to partner with Bayer on this initiative&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The fund supports quality environmental science education teaching and learning programmes&period; Such programmes have strong links to the Nature of Science strand of the New Zealand curriculum and which involve practical&comma; hands-on science investigations whilst working alongside and engaging with school&comma; local and science communities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The second round of funding is now open&period; Applications close on September 12&period;&nbsp&semi;Go to <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;royalsociety&period;org&period;nz&sol;programmes&sol;funds&sol;bayer-primary-school-science-fund&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;royalsociety&period;org&period;nz&sol;programmes&sol;funds&sol;bayer-primary-school-science-fund&sol;<&sol;a>&nbsp&semi; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The successful schools and their funding are as follows&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Argyle East Central Hawkes Bay<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Funding&colon; &dollar;1486<br &sol;>To purchase stream monitoring kits and student microscopes to support their project Water Testing and Data Collection in the Argyle East School Wetland and Mangaotai Creek&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Belmont&comma; Lower Hutt<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Funding&colon; &dollar;1780<br &sol;>To purchase air and soil probes&comma; weather measuring tools&comma; observation frames and accompanying tools to support their project Creating Creature Comforts&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Carncot School<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Palmerston North<br &sol;>&dollar;2000<br &sol;>To purchase microscopes&comma; portable balances&comma; thermometers&comma; dissecting trays with associated tools to support their project&comma;Water as clear as mud &&num;8211&semi; an ecological study of the Manawatu waterways&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Maraetai Beach School Auckland<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Funding&colon; &dollar;2000<br &sol;>To purchase water testing kits and environmental science lab equipment to support their programme Safer wai for Maraetai&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Matahui Road Katikati<&sol;strong><br &sol;>&dollar;1945<br &sol;>To purchase binoculars&comma; spotting scopes&comma; microscopes&comma; assorted geology tools&comma; fossil sets and observation frames for their project Developing an environmental classroom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>San Antonio School&comma; Eastbourne<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Funding&colon; &dollar;1854&period;55<br &sol;>To purchase weather stations and data collective tools to support their project Metrological factors and their effect on our environment&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Selwyn House School Christchurch<&sol;strong><br &sol;>&dollar;1890<br &sol;>For the purchase of data collecting probes and sensors to support their project Environmental Science Datalogging&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>South Auckland Middle School Manurewa<&sol;strong><br &sol;>Funding &dollar;1840<br &sol;>To purchase tools&comma; microscopes&comma; earthworm bins and worms&comma; heat retaining rocks&comma; seeds&comma; student gardening tools to support their project Te Pa Natura&period;<&sol;p><&sol;p>&NewLine;

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