Until 31 December 2007: Poland
Competition: Astronomy in School

Two websites, www.astronomia.pl and www.interklasa.pl together with Fizyka w Szkole magazine (Physics in School) have organized an astronomical contest for teachers in Poland. Participants should prepare a series of lessons, an astronomy day at school or other event during which students learn about astronomy.

More information: www.astronomia.pl/konkursy

Until 12 December 2007: many UK venues
Lectures: Institute of Physics Schools Lecture Series 2007

The science of light and colour is fantastically important in an enormous number of areas: from observing and understanding the Universe in astronomy; to diagnosis and treatment processes in medicine; to efficient communications and signal processing in industries.

The Institute of Physics 2007 schools lecture will be presented by Dr Pete Vukusic, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Exeter’s School of Physics. He is one of the leading scientists in the world involved in broadening our understanding of how nature uses and controls the flow of light and colour.

Light Fantastic: the Science of Colour will open pupils’ eyes to the basic concepts of the science of light and colour and show how technology is making the most of light’s astonishing properties. This presentation will include demonstrations, hands-on activities and movie clips to help shed light on the science of colour. The lecture lasts an hour and is suitable for students aged 14-16.

More information: www.iop.org

6-9 December 2007: Cambridge University, UK
Training course: physics update course

This course for practising teachers of physics consists of a series of talks and workshops in which participants will:

• Hear about recent developments in physics and the applications of physics
• Try new practical techniques
• Find out about developments in physics education

Cost: £70 (non-residential) or £130 (residential)

Contact: Leila Solomon (+44 (0)20 7470 4821 or leila.solomon@iop.org)

Until 30 November 2007: Italy, Austria and Switzerland
Competition: Junge Forscher gesucht! - Giovani ricercatori cercansi! (Wanted: young researchers!)

In this search for talented young researchers, young people are required to develop scientific projects on many topics, including art and music. Regional finalists, selected on the basis of a report they submit, present their project to an international jury and the public. Prizes of €1500-3000 are awarded.

The competition is open to people aged 16-20 living in South Tyrol (Italy), Trentino (Italy), Tyrol (Austria) or Grisons (Switzerland) and is held in the regional languages German and Italian.

To enter the next competition, register before 30 November 2007. The final event will take place in March 2008 at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

More information: www.explora-science.net/wettbewerb

1 October - 21 November 2007: Germany
Competition: Green chemistry - staying nice and clean

This year's DECHEMAX school competition, organised by the DECHEMA, addresses 'Green chemistry - staying nice and clean'. It covers the uses of biotechnology, chemistry and technology in our environment, from renewable energy to chemistry on the sea floor.

Teams of 3-5 students from Years 7-11 (13-18 years old) in German schools can take part. In the first round, students can use internet research to answer eight questions. Teams that correctly answer six or more questions receive a certificate and a small prize.

In the second round, teams use household objects to carry out two experiments and then write a report. The winners receive books, journal subscriptions or vouchers. The three best teams will be invited to the ProcessNet Jahrestagung in Autumn 2008 to receive their trophy and prize money.

Registration is open from 1 October until 21 November 2007.

More information:www.dechemax.de
Contact: dechemax@dechema.de

15-16 November 2007: Science Center NEMO, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Conference: Hands-on & Brains-on

This international conference about primary education is the closing conference of the EU project Hands-on & Brains-on. Participants can take part in the hands-on activities created by eight science centres. Additionally, the recent Rocard Report A renewed pedagogy for the future of Europe will be discussed by representatives of EU, science centres, headteachers, teachers, educational administrations and decision makers, researchers, journalists and other experts in science learning and communication.

The conference is in English and the registration fee is €100.

More information www.e-nemo.nl/Handson-Brainson-conference2007
Contact: Leo Van Den Bogaert (vandenbogaert@e-nemo.nl), Aliki Giannakopoulou (agiannakopoulou@ecsite.net) or Hannu Salmi (hannu.salmi@heureka.fi)

6-8pm, 7 November 2007: Battle Abbey School, Battle, UK
Debate: Fuelling the Future

Do you have a revolutionary idea that will improve our energy efficiency? Do you know of a viable alternative to oil for
transport? Have you designed a hybrid car and want to test your business plan? Want to make an impact in our effort for
global sustainable development?

Schools are invited to put forward teams to discuss their plans to fuel the future and help fight climate change. Using baseline data and resources supplied by the Royal Society of Chemistry, teams will work in advance to produce a structured argument for the debate about why their idea for the fuel of the future is the best.

More information: www.nuffieldchemistry.org/news/chemistry-week-nov-09,877,NS.html
Contact: Eric Demoncheaux, Battle Abbey School (demoncheauxe@battleabbeyschool.com) or Robert Bowles, Royal Society of Chemistry (chemnet@rsc.org)

2-3 November 2007: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Conference: 8th EMBO/EMBL Joint Conference on Science and Society

Teachers and their students are invited to attend this year's EMBO/EMBL Joint Conference on Science and Society entitled 'The future of our species: evolution, disease and sustainable development'.

The four sessions of the conference cover:

• Emerging, re-emerging and persistent diseases
• Global sustainability and biology
• Treatment and enhancement
• Human evolution: once we were apes

The conference fee is €40 (€20 for students).

More information: www.embo.org/scisoc/conference07.html
Contact: scisoc@embo.org

31 October - 2 November 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials are aimed at students aged 13-16.

The courses are free of charge, but the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from France and takes place in French.

Contact: Mick Storr (mick.storr@cern.ch)

Until 26 October 2007: Republic of Ireland
Competition: Genetic Engineering: Panacea or Pandora's Box?

Is gene therapy a potential panacea for terrible illnesses or a Pandora's box in which genetically enhanced 'designers babies' with perfect looks and high IQs become a reality?

Secondary-school students from the Republic of Ireland are invited to share their views in short essays. Prizes include a laptop, an iPod, trophies and a money for science equipment.

More information: www.remedi.ie

19-21 October 2007: Plaza del Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain
Science teaching festival: Ciencia en Acción

Ciencia en Acción recognises, promotes and rewards the efforts of teachers of all levels in order to help all students to extend their science background and their appreciation of the role of science.

The festival takes place in Spanish and Portuguese, and is open to science teachers from all Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. Deadline for applications: 5 July 2007.

More information: www.cienciaenaccion.org
Contact: Rosa Maria Ros (ros@mat.upc.es)

18-23 October 2007: Petnica Science Center, Serbia
Conference: Network of Youth Excellence workshop/conference

The Network of Youth Excellence (NYEX) is a UNESCO-sponsored network to share good practice between worldwide initiatives that encourage research possibilities for motivated secondary-school students.

The next conference will have three main topics:

1. Towards successful national policies that support young talents
   in science
2. Effects of out-of-school science education
3. Professional support for young talents in science - examples of
   good practice.

To take part in the conference or/and to give a presentation, submit your application by 1 May.

More information: http://nyex.info/58-11706.html
Contact: Vigor Majic (vigor@psc.ac.yu) or Lilla Barabas (secretary@nyex.info)

11-14 October 2007: Bucharest, Romania
Workshop: Science Education in School

This main session of this international workshop is aimed at science education researchers and institutions involved in science education. Two satellite events are specifically aimed at teachers:

• Science fair: for middle- and high-school teachers and students


• Hands-on experiments in primary schools: for primary-school teachers and nursery educators.

The satellite events are free; the fee for the conference is €80. Register by 15-25 September 2007 (depending on event).

The workshop and events are organised by the Center for Science Education and Training in collaboration with the education network Hands-on Science.

More information: http://education.inflpr.ro/en/ses07.htm
Contact: Dan Sporea (dan.sporea@inflpr.ro)

10-12 October 2007: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Training course: ELLS LearningLAB

The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an education facility to bring secondary school teachers into the research lab for a unique hands-on encounter with state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques. ELLS also gives scientists a chance to work with teachers, helping to bridge the widening gap between research and schools.

The three-day course is designed to enable the participating teachers to explore a range of activities, which they can practice in the lab and then take back to the classroom.

The course is open to 20 European high-school science teachers and is run in English. The course, including course materials, catering and accommodation, is free of charge; participants are expected to meet their own travel costs.

More information: www.embl.de/ells
Contact: ells@embl.de

21-30 September 2007: Warsaw, Poland
Science festival

The XIth Science Festival includes about 460 various events in scientific institutions around Warsaw. From 24-28 September, scientists will present 220 classes for school students (ages 6-18), together with their teachers. The classes cover all branches of science, especially those that are not taught in detail at school.

Dr Marek Ostrowski, the scientist and photographer will give an exhibition and multimedia presentation for teachers on Warsaw, its history and future, and how to teach this in schools and universities (5pm, 24 September at the Warsaw University main campus).

All events are free and in Polish. Classes must register by 14 September.

More information: www.icm.edu.pl/festiwal

29 September 2007: Cork Institute of Technology and Blackrock Castle Observatory, Ireland
Training course: Frontiers of Physics 2007

All teachers interested in physics teaching are invited to attend a day of lectures, demonstrations and workshops for post-primary teachers of physics, organised by the Institute of Physics and the city of Cork. The working language is English and the registration fee is €30.

More information: www.physics.cit.ie/frontiers2007
Contact: Paul Nugent (paulnugent@eircom.net)

14-20 September 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials are aimed at students aged 13-16.

The courses are free of charge, but the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Saarland and Sachsen-Anhalt) and takes place in German.

Contact: Mick Storr

9-15 September 2007: York, UK
Science festival: The BA Festival of Science

In September, the University of York, the city of York and the surrounding area will experience an explosion of science. From excursions and hands-on family days to debates on current hot topics and unique opportunities to question the UK’s top scientists, the BA Festival of Science offers something for everyone.

Schools can be involved through a programme of specifically designed activities for students of all ages, their teachers and their supporters. As Europe’s largest celebration of science, it offers the opportunity to find out about latest developments in an exciting and informative way by connecting with a range of scientists, engineers, technologists, museums and businesses.  There is also a strand of education events aimed specifically at science teachers.

Local UK schools will receive full details and booking information in the summer term. To make sure you are on the mailing list, email or call us, mentioning the schools programme.

More information: www.the-ba.net/festivalofscience
Contact: festival@the-ba.net or +44 (0)20 7019 4963

9-15 September 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials are aimed at students aged 13-16.

The courses are free of charge, but the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Portugal and takes place in Portuguese.

Contact: Mick Storr

1-8 September 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials are aimed at students aged 13-16.

The courses are free of charge, but the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Germany (Bavaria, NRW) and takes place in German.

Contact: Mick Storr

4-7 September 2007: ExploHeidelberg Teaching Lab, Germany
Training course: Molecular biology for senior high-school students

This course will introduce standard molecular biology techniques by cloning an interesting region of the bacteriophage Lambda into the plasmid vector pUC18. The properties of DNA and protein, their isolation, production and manipulation are taught theoretically as well as practically.

Starting with genomic DNA, we will amplify an interesting gene fragment by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), digest it with restriction enzymes and insert it into the vector (ligation). Additional methods include: agarose gel electrophoresis, transformation, blue-white selection, selection and validation of the clones. Then we will focus on protein biochemistry and examine protein expression of the marker gene GFP (green fluorescent protein) that will be isolated from E. coli culture by affinity chromatography. Homogeneity and yield is then checked by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a Bradford protein assay. Finally we will touch immuno methods and determine the antibody titer of an unknown sample using the ELISA technique.

The course runs in German, is for a maximum of 12 senior high-school students and costs 80 €.

More information: www.explo-heidelberg.de/lernlabor/
Contact: Thomas Wendt

26-31 August 2007: Opatija, Croatia
Conference: GIREP-EPEC: Frontiers of Physics Education

For the first time the GIREP (International Research Group on Physics Teaching) Seminar is organised as a joint event with the European Physics Education Conference (EPEC). Whereas GIREP traditionally gathers experts and practitioners in educational physics, EPEC is a young conference organised by the European Physical Society, which attracts the top physicists in Europe.

The joint conference will bring together physics teachers from schools and universities across Europe, encouraging dialogue and the exchange of best practice in physics education. Teachers are invited to join this conference. (Theme to be arranged, the working language will be English.)

More information: www.ffri.hr/GE2/
Contact: ge2@ffri.hr

18-30 August 2007: Petnica Science Center, Serbia
Training course: Petnica International Science School 2007

The summer program of the Petnica Science Center gathers gifted and motivated school students from south-eastern Europe and beyond. This intensive and stimulating course on scientific research methods includes lots of practical exercises and real research projects under the supervision of experienced science educators and professional scientists.

All students aged 17-20 are eligible. The main selection criteria are motivation for out-of-school learning and a demonstrated interest in science. While school grades are important, but they are not the decisive factor. Open-mindedness and willingness to work are much more important.

More information: www.psc.ac.yu/pi
Contact: pi@psc.ac.yu

4-28 August 2007: Göttingen, Germany
Training course: international science camp

Organised by XLAB, the international science camps are open to interested high school students and undergraduate college and university students, about ages 17-22, from all over the world. Courses are offered in biology, chemistry and physics and held by scientists from the University of Göttingen and affiliated research organizations. The scientists are assisted by experienced technical assistants.

More information: www.xlab-goettingen.de

19-25 August 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Hungary and takes place in Hungarian.

Contact: Mick Storr

22-24 August 2007: Gembloux Agricultural University, Gembloux, Belgium
Conference: Congrès des Sciences (Belgian Science Teachers Congress)

This congress for secondary-school science teachers includes lectures in science and didactics, workshops, demonstration experiments, a textbook and science hardware fair, plus visits to various labs, industries and places of scientific interest. The working language is French and the congress fee is €10 (or free for many teachers).

More information: www.congres-des-sciences.be
Contact accueil.information@fsagx.ac.be or presidence@congres-des-sciences.be

July 2007: Moscow, Russia
Workshop: Space Development, Theory and Practice

It's 50 years since Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union so what
better way to celebrate than a trip to Russia.

The Space Development, Theory and Practice workshop is run by the Youth Space Centre, part of one of Moscow's best universities. You will visit the companies that made all the ground breaking space hardware and learn about the past, present, and future of space activities. Closing date: 8 April.

More information: http://ysc.sm.bmstu.ru
Contact: russia@uk.seds.org

22-28 July 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Spain and takes place in Spanish.

Contact: Mick Storr

21-25 July 2007: Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, France
Science festival: Festival Paris Montagne 'Sur les traces des chercheurs (following the footprints of research)

This annual summer science festival is dedicated to children and teenagers from underprivileged backgrounds. It takes place at the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure, a university at the heart of the scientific area of Paris. The science festival opens the world of science and research to its 3000 visitors, aged nine to 17.

More information: www.paris-montagne.org

2-21 July 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Europe and the USA and takes place in English.

Contact: Mick Storr

23 June - 17 July 2007: Göttingen, Germany
Training course: international science camp

Organised by XLAB, the international science camps are open to interested high school students and undergraduate college and university students, about ages 17-22, from all over the world. Courses are offered in biology, chemistry and physics and held by scientists from the University of Göttingen and affiliated research organizations. The scientists are assisted by experienced technical assistants.

More information: www.xlab-goettingen.de

10 July 2007: Madrid, Spain
Workshop: Active Learning of Physics and Chemistry

Physics and chemistry teachers of different educative levels are invited to a workshop organised by the Real Sociedad Española de Química (Spanish royal sciety of chemistry) and the chemistry didactics group at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, about cooperative learning, conceptual maps, problem-based learning, laboratory activities, and other educational tools for active chemistry and physics learning. It is also an opportunity to discuss the European credit transfer system used at universities. All papers presented will be published in a book.The working language is Spanish but teachers from outside Spain are warmly welcome.

More information: www.etsii.upm.es/ieducativa/Jornada2007.htm
Contact: Prof. Gabriel Pinto (gabriel.pinto@upm.es)

4-6 July 2007: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Training course: ELLS LearningLAB

The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an education facility to bring secondary school teachers into the research lab for a unique hands-on encounter with state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques. ELLS also gives scientists a chance to work with teachers, helping to bridge the widening gap between research and schools.

The 3-day course is designed to enable the participant teachers to explore a range of activities, which they can practice in the lab and then take back to the classroom.

The course is open to 20 European high-school science teachers and is run in English. The course, including course materials, catering and accommodation, is free of charge; participants are expected to meet their own travel costs.

More information: www.embl.de/ells
Contact: ells@embl.de

Until 5 July 2007: All Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries
Competition: Adopta una Estrella (adopt a star)

As part of the Ciencia en Acción festival, young people can take part in the Adopta una Estrella (adopt a star) competition. The main objective of the competition is to arouse the interest of children and teenagers in the world of the astronomy. The contest is aimed at teams of 3 school students (not university students) coordinated by a teacher. There are 12 prizes of 1500 € for the best projects presented.

The first prize consists of a trip for the group to a centre of the CSIC (the national council of scientific research) of Spain. The competition is in Spanish and Portuguese, and is open to science teachers from all Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries Deadline for applications: 5 July 2007.

More information: www.cienciaenaccion.org
Contact: Rosa Maria Ros

3-24 June 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Finland and takes place in Finnish.

Contact: Mick Storr

Until 20 June 2007: Germany
Competition: Science on Stage Deutschland 'Spannung in die Schule'

Secondary-school teachers in Germany are invited to enter this year's Science on Stage Deutschland competition, 'Spannung in die Schule' (excitement at school). Entries should consist of exciting and practical teaching ideas, school projects or activities. They may include any subjects, but should be relevant to science.

Prizes worth up to €3000 will be awarded in September 2007 by Nobel Prize winner for physics, Professor Bednorz.

More information: www.science-on-stage.de
Contact: info@science-on-stage.de

14 June 2007: Technopolis, Mechelen, Belgium
Conference: PENCIL Final Science Teachers’ Conference

Science teachers are invited to participate in workshops and debates on how schools and science centres can come together at the forefront of science education. The conference will give concrete examples of best practice from the 14 European PENCIL pilot projects, covering a wide range of topics and student age groups. These projects have been tested and evaluated in schools, as well as in science centres and museums. Using these results, the conference offers teachers pragmatic guidelines on the following key areas:

• The introduction of new topics in science
• New approaches to teaching and learning traditional subjects
• Building relationships between schools and science centres and museums.

Teachers will have the chance to network and exchange their experiences with colleagues from all over Europe. The working language is English and participation in the conference is free.

More information: www.xplora.org/xplora/pencilconference07
Contact: Michael Creek: mcreek@ecsite.net

3-9 June 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Germany (RPf, BW) and takes place in German.

Contact: Mick Storr

7 June 2007: Rugby School, Rugby, UK
Conference: 19th Annual Meeting for Teachers of Physics in Schools and Colleges

Organised by the Institute of Physics, this is a one-day meeting for teachers of physics in schools and colleges, and for teachers in training. The main purpose is to bring together physics teachers from both state and independent schools to learn about the latest developments in physics and physics education. Three lectures are given by leading research physicists and by physics education experts, together with a series of six hands-on workshops, discussion sessions and a teacher exchange of news and information. The meeting also provides an opportunity for equipment suppliers, publishers and awarding bodies to communicate their new products.

Most participants come from England and Wales, but teachers from further afield are very welcome. Conference fee: £30 including lunch (concession for new and trainee UK teachers: £15).

Contact: Chris A Butlin, Chairman of the Institute of Physics School Physics Group (ChrisAButlin@aol.com or +44(0)1904 607 169)

Until 4 June 2007: UK
Competition: Making a Mint

Send off for a free pack of mint seeds, a balance sheet and a wall chart of growing tips. Grow your own mint and then, if you like, have some good ideas to sell it and let Planet Science know the total of your turnover. Get in the top 50 money earners and your ideas will be considered for a prize of £1000 worth of gardening vouchers (£250 for each of the four runners up).

More information: www.planet-science.com/outthere/mint/

20-28 May 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Poland and takes place in Polish.

Contact: Mick Storr

10-12 May 2007: Pavilion of the Future, Seville, Spain
Science fair

During the three-day science fair, students from primary and secondary schools as well as universities will present science projects that they have prepared with their teachers. The projects will be communicated and exhibited to visitors in an interactive, engaging and entertaining way. National private and public institutions will also present their current research.

Organised by the Andalusian Society for the Popularisation of Science (Sociedad Andaluza para la Divulgación de la Ciencia), the science fair aims to help teachers, students and scientific communities share scientific experiences, as well as to promote science in our society.

Most participants will be from Andalucia, but everyone interested in presenting and developing this kind of educational science project is welcome to attend. The working language will be Spanish.

More information: www.cienciaviva.org
Contact: Maria Jose Garcia Belmonte (mariajosegarciabelmonte@hotmail.com)

11 May 2007: Museum of Industry, Oberhausen, Germany
Conference: Innovative Technologies Move Europe II

Eleven teams from four different countries participated in the European school project, Innovative Technologies Move Europe. The teams of teachers and students developed creative and innovative projects in their schools, addressing one of the following topics:

• Movement – constructing a means of locomotion
• Energy requirement - one litre of water
• Energy – constructing a model of a system that converts regenerable energy into electric power
• Chaos – representation of chaotic movement using elementary means.

Teachers are invited to join this final meeting, where the student will present the results in English.

More information: www.science-on-stage.de
Contact: info@science-on-stage.de

Until 1 May: UK and Republic of Ireland
Competition: The Daily Telegraph and Bayer Science Writer Awards

Young people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland are invited to enter a 700-word article to the The Daily Telegraph and Bayer Science Writer competition. Winners will have their 700-word articles published in the The Daily Telegraph, receive cash prizes, subscriptions to Nature and New Scientist, and work placements with either The Daily Telegraph, Bayer or the Royal Society.

The deadline is 1 May 2007 and entries are judged in two categories:

• Age 16-19
• Age 20-28

More information: www.science-writer.co.uk

9 March - 30 April 2007: UK
Competition: SciNews Writing Competition

Are you a budding science reporter, aged 14-16? Why not enter our science writing competition and win a day with the Cancer Research UK press team? To take part, write a news story about something related to health or medicine that has recently been in the headlines.

Entries should be no more than 300 words and the competition is open to all schools in the UK. Deadline for entries: 30 April 2007.

More information: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org

22-28 April 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Slovakia and takes place in Slovak.

Contact: Mick Storr

27 April 2008 - 31 January 2008: UK
Competition: Planet SciCast

NESTA, the Engineering and Technology Board and the Institute of Physics are putting together a database of mini movies of science demonstrations and experiments. Everyone in the UK is encouraged to enter the competition by submitting films of two minutes or under.

More details will be available in April, but the prototype website has some examples of movies that have already been made. Make sure you have Quicktime installed to see the films.

More information: www.planet-scicast.com/

15-21 April 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Poland and takes place in Polish.

Contact: Mick Storr

11-15 April 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from Finland and takes place in Finnish.

Contact: Mick Storr

13-14 April 2007: University of Vienna, Austria
Conference: Learning about biodiversity - a didactic challenge (Biodiversität lernen: eine didaktische Herausforderung)

This German-language symposium organised by the Österreichisches Kompetenzzentrum für Didaktik der Biologie includes presentations, indoor and outdoor workshops. Biology teachers interested in carrying out biodiversity activities at school, as well as scientists working in the field of biodiversity, are invited to participate.

Contact: martina.knapp@univie.ac.at

10-13 April 2007: CERN, Switzerland
Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme

CERN, the world's largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials aim at teaching students in the 13- to 16-year age range.

The courses are free of charge, and the participants are expected
to pay for their travel expenses and accommodation.

This course is for participants from the UK and takes place in English.

Contact: Mick Storr

4-6 April 2007: Petras Vileisis' Gymnasium, Pasvalys, Lithuania
Competition: Lithuanian Biology Olympiad for Schoolchildren: 'Step to the future'

Organised by the Association of Lithuanian Natural Science Olympiads, this 40th Lithuanian biology olympiad focuses on academic innovations and educative leisure.

For the first time, Lithuanian schoolchildren will participate in International Biology Olympiad (IBO’18 in Canada). 'Step to the future' therefore not only includes the Lithuanian Biology Olympiad, but also preparation camps for the IBO.

More information: www.olimpiados.lt
Contact: Gina Beinoraviciute (LGMOA@info.lt)

2-6 April 2007: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
Science teaching festival: Science on Stage 2

Science on Stage offers European science teachers the chance to exchange successful and innovative teaching methods and materials. In 2006, national competitions, workshops and events in 30 participating European countries raised awareness of best practices in science teaching and identified exceptional teaching projects and outstanding educators in each country.

At the European science teaching festival at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, 500 teachers selected from the 30 countries will take part. The event will showcase the very best of today's science education and serve as a discussion forum for relevant topics.

More information: www.scienceonstage.net
Contact: Physics.on.Stage@esa.int

25 March - 1 April 2007: Potsdam, Germany
Competition: European Union Science Olympiad

The European Union Science Olympiad (EUSO) is a team competition for EU secondary-school science students (aged 16 or under). The intention is:

• To challenge and stimulate gifted science students to develop their talents and to promote their careers as scientists
• To provide invaluable experience for students who may take part in the International Science Olympiads
• To offer the opportunity to compare the syllabi and educational trends in science education within the EU member states, which could help improve science education at national levels.

The deadline for applications is 1 March 2007.

More information: www.euso2007.de
Contact: Michale Cotter, ESO President (michael.cotter@dcu.ie)

Until 30 March: Worldwide
Competition: Catch a Star! Artists

Entries for the Catch a Star! Artists competition (see announcement) are now in. You can help to choose the winner by voting online.

Until 30 March 2007: Europe-wide
Competition: Marine Biodiversity

To celebrate Biodiversity Day, MarBEF (Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning) are launching a competition for European children and adults to capture marine biodiversity by:

• Drawing a picture
• Designing a mascot
• Taking a photograph.

Winners will receive prizes of a value of up to €100, and their entries may be published online and in the MarBEF newsletter, which is delivered to almost 1000 scientists across Europe.

More information: www.marbef.org/outreach/kids/competition.php
Contact: Chris Emblow (cemblow@ecoserve.ie)

22-24 March 2007: Vilnius, Lithuania
Competition: Lithuanian Chemistry Olympiad for Schoolchildren: 'Future is created today'

Organised by the Association of Lithuanian Natural Science Olympiads, this 45th Lithuanian chemistry olympiad focuses on academic innovations and educative leisure. Students with the most outstanding performances will be invited to preparation camps for the Baltic and international chemistry olympiads.

More information: www.olimpiados.lt
Contact: Laima Servaite (laima@olimpiados.lt)

20 March 2007: Worcestershire, UK
Training course: Learning Skills in Science

This training course aims to:

• Enhance learning skills for science among secondary school students
• Provide teachers with resources that can be easily integrated into a variety of scientific subjects
• Design flexible teaching and learning tasks suitable for different levels of students and a variety of learning styles.

More information: www.slcs.ac.uk/wm/
Contact: enquiries@slcwm.keele.ac.uk

19 March 2007: Warwickshire, UK
Training course: Learning Skills in Science

This training course aims to:

• Enhance learning skills for science among secondary school students
• Provide teachers with resources that can be easily integrated into a variety of scientific subjects
• Design flexible teaching and learning tasks suitable for different levels of students and a variety of learning styles.

More information: www.slcs.ac.uk/wm/
Contact: enquiries@slcwm.keele.ac.uk

Until 17 March 2007: Germany
Competition: Unterricht Innovativ! (Innovative teaching)

Teachers in German secondary schools are invited to take part in a national competition to recognise, reward and spread innovative teaching ideas.

More information: www.unterricht-innovativ.de

15-16 March 2007: Riga, Latvia
Conference: Didactics of Science Today and Tomorrow

This conference will consider the development of science didactics in Latvia, current problems in science education, as well as its place in pedagogy and natural sciences. Discussions will take place in plenary sessions and workshops. University teachers, scientists, school teachers, doctoral and masters students and others interested in the issue are invited to participate.

The conference is organised by the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, the Association of Biology Teachers of Latvia and the Natural History Museum of Latvia. Conference fee: €10 (5-7 LVL for participants from Latvia). Deadline for submission of abstracts: 1 February 2007.

More information: www.rpiva.lv
Contact: Janis Gedrovics (janis.gedrovics@rpiva.lv)

14 March 2007: Keele, UK
Training course: Motivating the Disaffected in Science

This new course views learning from the pupil's perspective and seeks engaging solutions to motivate and inspire adolescents to succeed in science. Pop culture, movies and games can all be applied in new teaching and learning approaches. This course will share outcomes from classroom-trialled activities and recent research findings to provide participants with immediate ideas for the classroom.

More information: www.slcs.ac.uk/wm
Contact: enquiries@slcwm.keele.ac.uk

10 March 2007: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Conference: Flemish Association of Mathematics Teachers annual meeting

The Flemish Association of Mathematics Teachers invites Dutch-speaking teachers to attend its annual meeting. Teachers from the Koninklijk Atheneum Geel (secondary school) will present their experiments with 'accompanied independent self-study', Professor I. Daubechies will speak on cryptography and John De Poorter will present his interactive science game, 'De doos van Borromini' (Borromini's box). Cost: €25/€20

More information: www.vvwl.be

Until 2 March 2007: Worldwide
Competition: Catch a Star!

This competition, organised by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Association for Astronomy Education, aims to encourage students to work together, learn about astronomy and discover things for themselves by researching information.

Student teams can write a project about a chosen topic in astronomy, selecting an astronomical object such as a nebula, star, planet or moon, or a more general theme such as ‘black holes’ or ‘star formation’. Younger students may take part in a drawing and painting competition. Prizes include a trip to visit ESO’s Very Large Telescope facility on the Paranal mountain-top in Chile. Deadline for entries: 2 March 2007.

More information: www.eso.org/catchastar/
Contact: eduinfo@eso.org

28 February - 2 March 2007: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Training course: ELLS LearningLAB: Introducing new approaches to teaching biology in secondary schools

The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an education facility to bring secondary school teachers into the research lab for a unique hands-on encounter with state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques. ELLS also gives scientists a chance to work with teachers, helping to bridge the widening gap between research and schools.

The 3-day course is designed to enable the participant teachers to explore a range of activities, which they can practice in the lab and then take back to the classroom.

Teachers will:

• Learn how to perform modern molecular biology techniques from scientists
• See what animal models can teach us about the basic mechanisms of development
• Learn how cells communicate with each other in order to accomplish specific tasks
• Get familiar with teaching kits and educational games that present modern concepts and techniques of molecular biology in a proactive way
• Discuss ethical issues in molecular biology with experts

The course is open to 20 European high-school science teachers and is run in English. The course, including course materials, catering and accommodation, is free of charge; participants are expected to meet their own travel costs. The registration deadline is 16 February 2007.

More information: www.embl.de/ells
Contact: ells@embl.de

26-27 February 2007: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Monterotondo, Italy
Lectures: Stem Cells - from Basic Research to Clinical Applications

Organised by Cusmibio in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, this course is intended for high-school science teachers and PhD students in the biological sciences. Given by prominent scientists in the field of stem cells, from basic research to clinical applications and bioethics, the lectures (in Italian) will cover:

• Stem cells: biology and clinical applications
• Neuronal stem cells
• Stem cells and neuronal diversity
• Epithelial stem cells in regenerative medicine
• Cancer biology and epigenomics 
• Bioethical and legal aspects of embryonal stem cell research.

More information: www.cusmibio.unimi.it

4-6 January 2007: Birmingham University, UK
Workshops: Dynamic Science

Aimed at teachers of 11-16 year olds, these 90-minute workshops help biology, physics and chemistry teachers to teach science in an earth science context, making the science relevant to the world around us, our environment and our lives. Workshops are relevant to teachers in all countries.

The workshops are led by science educators from the Earth Science Education Unit and will take place within the Association of Science Education (ASE) annual conference.

More information: www.earthscienceeducation.com
Contact: eseu@keele.ac.uk 

3-6 January 2007: Birmingham, UK
Conference: The Association for Science Education (ASE) annual conference

Science teachers and technicians are invited to explore, debate and discover what is important to them in the world of science education in over 350 lectures and workshops. Highlights include:

• Lectures on teaching and learning
• Cutting-edge science
• Hands-on practicals to use in the classroom
• A commercial exhibition of resources for making science accessible to young people.

More information: www.ase.org.uk

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If you organise events or competitions that would be of interest to European science teachers and you would like to see them mentioned in Science in School, please email details, including date, location, title, abstract, price, language, registration deadline, website and contact email address to editor@scienceinschool.org.