
Submitted by Dr C.M. Martin-Jones on Fri, 15/08/2025 - 10:37
On 11–15 August, the Department welcomed Year 12 students from across the country for a week-long summer school.
The scheme is spearheaded by The Sutton Trust, an educational charity which aims to improve social mobility and address educational disadvantage.
Students experienced studying Earth Sciences at university through taster lectures, lab practical sessions, and a mini field excursion on themes ranging from planetary geology to natural hazards and climate science.
Highlights included a field trip to Fen Ditton to measure water quality along the River Cam. Students also visited the Sedgwick Museum and Zoology Museum, exploring the collections through activities and discussion. A lab session on critical metals had the students looking at unusual alkaline minerals from Greenland. In the Department’s coral lab, students examined corals under the microscope and had a go at measuring their photosynthetic activity. The students also had the opportunity to take part in extracurricular activities like punting during their stay in Cambridge.
A big thank you to all the staff and researchers who helped make the summer school a success!