13/11/2009
"Making it to the finals of the MEDEA awards is a great achievement. In today's media-rich world it is vital that education and teaching takes full advantage of the latest media tools and how they can be used to enthuse people of all ages about learning."
Planet SciCast, a film-making competition designed to enthuse children, young people and teachers across the UK and Ireland about science, has been named as one of just eight finalists in the European MEDEA awards. The awards, which aim to encourage innovation in the use of media in education and to reward examples of good practice, received more than 250 entries from 36 countries across Europe.
Planet SciCast was launched in 2007 and its supporters include the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA), the Institute of Physics (IoP) and the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB). It challenges young people, parents, teachers and science professionals to make short films about practical science experiments with the aim of encouraging as many young people as possible to experience science as a practical subject. Last year's competition was endorsed by TV presenters Iain Stewart (BBC Four's Journeys From The Centre of The Earth), Alice Roberts (BBC Two's Coast) and Jem Stansfield (BBC One's Bang Goes The Theory). TV presenter Kate Humble was also in attendance to present the winners prizes at the awards ceremony held at the Royal Institution.
The annual competition was the brainchild of Jonathan Sanderson who was previously a science television producer. Jonathan says: 'Getting through to the finals is a ringing endorsement of the way that Planet SciCast can inspire young people to engage with science. We hope that recognition such as this will help us continue to grow the competition and bring practical science to an even larger audience.'
Last year Planet SciCast received around 160 entries from teams of all ages, with school science clubs, university students, and teachers, among others, submitting movies. The movies are judged on their ability to depict interesting scientific demonstrations, facts, or problems, in a unique and entertaining way.
Jonathan Kestenbaum, Chief Executive of NESTA, adds, "Making it to the finals of the MEDEA awards is a great achievement. In today's media-rich world it is vital that education and teaching takes full advantage of the latest media tools and how they can be used to enthuse people of all ages about learning. Planet SciCast exposes participants not only to hands-on science, but also helps them get to grips with new technology and develop wider transferable skills which, in the 21st century, are essential to cope with a rapidly changing world."
The winners of the MEDEA awards will be announced at a ceremony in Berlin in December.
For more information please contact Catherine Anderson, Communications Officer, Catherine.anderson@nesta.org.uk or 0207 438 2609
About NESTA
NESTA is the largest independent endowment in the UK. Its mission is to support innovation to drive economic recovery and solve some of the UK's major social challenges. NESTA is a world leader in its field and is in a unique position to support and promote innovation through a blend of practical programmes, policy and research and investment in early-stage companies.
About the MEDEA Awards
The aim of the annual MEDEA Awards is to encourage innovation and good practice in the use of media in education. Their purpose is to recognise and promote excellence in the production and pedagogical design of media-rich learning resources at all levels of education, and to highlight good practice in the use of media and video in the classroom.
www.medea-awards.com
Planet SciCast
Planet SciCast is part of the Planet Science website. It is a competition, open in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, aiming to get children, young people, teachers, parents, science communicators and science/ engineering/ technology professionals all making short films about practical science, and in turn encourage as many young people as possible to experience science as a practical subject. The aim of the project is to turn the growing excitement around making films into something which is of practical, educational and collective benefit. Though the competition, Planet SciCast aims to build the world's most entertaining science resource. To view the winning films, visit www.planet-scicast.com
The deadline for film submissions to Plant SciCast 2010 is Friday 16th April 2010.
T +44 (0)20 7438 2500
F +44 (0)20 7438 2501
Nesta Operating Company, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091. Registered as a charity in Scotland number SC042833.
