Schools Newsletter June 2017 | Page 4

NEWS MISSION DISCOVERY LAUNCHES IN AYRSHIRE This year’s ISSET team were: • Michael Foale CBE, former NASA astronaut • Sarah Murray, NASA HQs Council Executive / Mission Support for Partnership Councils The International Space School Educational Trust’s (ISSET) Mission Discovery Ayrshire 2017 programme began on Monday 19 June for around 150 secondary school pupils and college students. Following the success of last year’s programme, this incredible opportunity was made available as a result of the Ayrshire College Foundation’s continued sponsorship. As well as sponsorship from NATS, the Spaceport and Ayr Rotary Club. • Julie Keeble, Lecturer of Pharmacology at Kings College London and Chief Scientist at ISSET • Chris Barber, Director at ISSET Michael Foale CBE said “I’m delighted to be back in Ayrshire, I’m really impressed with the students and I’m sure they’ll deliver some great experiments to send to the International Space Station.” Find out about the winning experiment here: http://www1. ayrshire.ac.uk/news/news/2017/ mission-discovery-ayrshire-winners- announced/ Ayrshire Connects organised an event aimed at giving girls and women the confidence to follow a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) career path. 100 people came to the College’s Kilmarnock Campus to hear Sarah Murray, NASA HQs Council Executive / Mission Support and Partnership Councils, speak about how she has overcome many obstacles to have a successful career in NASA. Sarah has been involved in the Mission Discovery week with the fifth and sixth year pupils. Ayrshire Connects is a mentoring network for female STEM and construction students across the college to connect to each other, to students in other colleges and universities, to employers and women in the industry sectors they aspire to enter, and to senior pupils in secondary schools across Ayrshire. I’m really impressed with the “ students and I’m sure they’ll deliver some great experiments to send to the International Space Station ” Everyone was inspired by what they heard at Girls with Grit, the latest in the College’s #ThisAyrshireGirlCan campaign to tackle the gender gap in STEM. For more information about the network click here: http://www1. ayrshire.ac.uk/students/ayrshire- connects/