Over 180 secondary school students experienced how science and technology impacts the food we grow at an event funded by Growing Kent & Medway on Friday 4th July.
The event, held at UK Canterbury Christ Church University and coordinated by the STEM Hub, was part of an initiative aimed at inspiring a new generation of young people to consider a STEM-related career in food and farming.
© Growing Kent & MedwayStudents watching a 3D food printer in action
Hands-on workshops throughout the day highlighted the vast array of exciting careers and opportunities in the agri-tech sector in Kent and Medway. A keynote talk by APS Produce showed the science involved in growing 91 million tomatoes each year, from high-tech climate control data management to the growing role of robotics.
Practical sessions allowed students to explore diverse careers, including,
➢ Artificial intelligence and data scientists monitoring crops for diseases
➢ Technologists using 3D food printers to make tasty snacks
➢ Geneticists breeding tastier or more drought-tolerant strawberries
Students aged between 11-13 years from 11 different schools around Kent and Medway attended the free event.
Teacher Sharon Dawson, Herne Bay High School, "The event has opened the students' eyes to things they may not have known existed. They would never have known there were robots being used to test if tomatoes were ripe! They may really like computing, programming and robotics, and would never have previously linked them to how we produce sustainable food.
"I think many of them associate growing tomatoes with their granddad's shed, but they don't understand the engineering technology involved in growing!"
The event was delivered by The STEM Hub, Canterbury Christ Church University, which coordinates the STEM Ambassador Programme across the South East to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
© Growing Kent & MedwayStudents using computer vision to detect ripe cherries and predict yields
Professor Mohamed Abdel-Maguid, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education, Student Growth and Global Engagement at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: "Farming and food production are changing fast. They are now high-tech industries where engineering, science, innovation, data and sustainability come together. Our STEM Hub event gave young people a real, hands-on glimpse into that future.
"We are proud to work with Growing Kent & Medway, Niab, and our university and business partners to make this happen. Together, we aimed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and help young people see new possibilities for themselves.
"At Canterbury Christ Church University, we embed sustainability and digital transformation in everything we do in education. Events like this bring that to life by showing young people that they can be the next generation of engineers, technologists and plant scientists driving sustainable food production."
The event was funded by Growing Kent & Medway as part of their programme to inspire the next generation of skilled workers in the horticulture produce sector for 2030.
Simon Barnes, Director, Growing Kent & Medway, said: "Inspiring a new generation of engineers, technologists, and plant scientists into the sector is vital for the future sustainability and security of food production in the UK. We hope this stimulating day has changed the students' and teachers' perceptions of what careers in growing fresh produce involve; we are now more robotics and machine learning than wellies in fields!"
© Growing Kent & MedwayStudents observing hoverfly behaviour
For more information:
www.growingkentandmedway.com