University of Portsmouth students volunteered their time to bring hands-on science to over 100 primary school pupils
Left to right ( Sukanya Dhawan - Postgraduate at University of Portsmouth, Laura Watford - Founder Stemunity, Kerry Cullimore - Delta Smoke Control, Ruby Trott - Undergraduate at University of Portsmouth, Justin Dizon - Stemunity Ambassador, Muhammad Asim - Postgraduate at University of Portsmouth)
University of Portsmouth students volunteered their time to bring hands-on science to over 100 primary school pupils from Portsmouth's most disadvantaged communities - showing the next generation what a career in STEM looks like.
On Monday (9 March), three University of Portsmouth students - postgraduate researchers Sukanya Dhawan and Muhammad Asim, and undergraduate Ruby Trott - joined a community partnership event designed to fire the scientific imagination of 107 Key Stage 2 pupils across the city.
The '100 Future Scientists for Portsmouth 100' event, held during British Science Week, was organised by Portsmouth-based education charity STEMunity in partnership with engineering company Delta Smoke Control and the National Education Union (Portsmouth branch). The initiative focused specifically on schools with high levels of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) need, ensuring science experiences reached children who might not otherwise access them.
The University's students helped guide pupils through a range of practical activities, including building circuits with fruit and Limelight kits, exploring osteo-archaeology, and launching the Big Plastic Count - a national citizen science project that will see children continue tracking plastic waste in their schools and communities. The group also visited the Mary Rose Museum.
Laura Watford, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of STEMunity, said: “When children meet real engineers and scientists from their own city, they start to picture themselves in those roles. Today, I watched that confidence grow in real time.”
For the University of Portsmouth students involved, the day offered a chance to put their knowledge to practical use and act as visible role models for local children -demonstrating that scientists and engineers are people from their own community.
The event reflects the University's commitment to civic engagement and widening participation in higher education. By placing students in community settings alongside working engineers and researchers, the initiative bridges the gap between university and the wider Portsmouth public.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Georgios Georgiou from Revolution Plastics Institute also attended to launch the Big Plastic Count, giving pupils a direct connection to active research and citizen science. Each child received a take-home experiment pack, designed to sustain curiosity and extend learning beyond the classroom.
Organisers described the day as "nothing short of joyful," with children and volunteers alike energised by the collaborative spirit of the event.