We were thrilled to attend the Wales STEM Awards in October and have our Learning Lab Cymru project voted STEM Educational Programme of the Year in the not-for-profit category.
Not only that, but we also received a Highly Commended certificate as STEM Company of the Year for organisations with fewer than 50 employees, something that our ‘small but mighty’ team can be hugely proud of.
The Wales STEM Awards seeks to shine a spotlight on the STEM sector in Wales and, at the recent ceremony there were many inspirational organisations and individuals caught in its light.
A panel of expert judges was led by Dr Louise Bright, founder of the Wales Women in STEM network, as they focused on the innovative work being undertaken in Wales to raise the aspirations of the next generation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — interviewing finalists in more than a dozen different categories to determine the rollcall of award-winners.
Hosted by broadcaster Sian Lloyd, the awards were accepted by Techniquest’s CEO, Lesley Kirkpatrick. Here’s what she had to say on the night:
Later, she added:
“After a challenging few years, it’s so rewarding to be recognised by the Wales STEM Awards’ judges, particularly in categories where we up against such strong competition. Our Learning Lab Cymru programme takes a hybrid approach to learning both in and outside of the classroom, in person and through digital channels, and we hope it will continue to grow over the coming years into something more and more schools can get involved with.
“Being at the awards ceremony gave us the chance to learn about so many fantastic projects and companies that are working so hard to build a strong STEM sector in Wales — and one of things we loved most about the night was the way in which so many people we spoke to had fond memories of coming to Techniquest themselves when they were younger: making science hands-on and fun had a really positive influence on them and it was a delight to hear them reminisce about their favourite exhibits from their visits to us in the past.”