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Academy Transforms England's Gifted Children into Instant Rocket Scientists

Originally published 25 May 2004


Students at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth will excel themselves on 3 June when they will be instantly transformed into rocket scientists.

Gravity, thrust, afterburn – all everyday stuff for your average rocket scientist, and just some of the terms that may crop up when members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth visit Leicester University for a one day course entitled: “So, you want to be a rocket scientist.”

The students will learn about the technology of space flight and what it takes to have a career in space science. Not only will the members learn about the technology, they will also design and build their own rockets and leave the confines of the laboratory behind as they head out to the athletics field to set them off.

The Academy, based at the University of Warwick, is open to the top 5% of gifted and talented pupils in England, and is working to improve educational provision for the most able students by working with students, educators and parents.

Professor Deborah Eyre, Director of NAGTY, said: "This is just one of a vast range of outreach events developed by the Academy to meet the needs of the brightest students in the country. Pupils with high potential need to have the opportunity to become high-achievers, and giftedness needs to be nurtured through access to challenging opportunities. The Academy is now reaching out to students all over England to ensure that the gifted are given the education they need."

Outreach events are short courses that normally take place over the course of a day or at weekends or in school holidays and are open to all of the Academy's current members. They run at venues all over the country and are delivered by top experts in their field. This year NAGTY will offer around 200 events for around 6000 students.

Other outreach events will explore diverse topics, from the archaeology of human remains and history of medicine, to “vile science”.

Photo/ Filming Opportunities: Thursday 3 June, Leicester University, The gifted kids setting off their rockets at 12.45pm.

For more information or to attend the event please contact:

Alison Rowan,
Press Officer,
NAGTY
024 76 574 905

Jenny Murray,
Communications Office,
University of Warwick,
Tel: 02476 574 255,
Mobile: 07876 21 7740

Visit: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/gifted